Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
by Emerald Princess of Vernea
Summary: This will be a complete novelisation of the Crisis Core videogame, from beginning to end. This follows the successful completion of two other videogame novelisations. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER**

Grace Barton does not own _Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core_ and is not associated with it or its creators in any way. This is a novelisation of the game and Grace only lays claim to the written form and original scenes/dialogue that do not appear in the game. Everything else is copyrighted to SquareEnix, the creators of _Crisis Core._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Prologue**

[µ]-εγλ2000. Midgar… the City of Dreams… It was the most powerful and influential city on the planet, and was the home of the Shinra Company.

At the heart of the city was the tallest building in Midgar: Shinra Headquarters. It stood seventy storeys high and loomed over the rest of the city like an ever-present eye, keeping a close watch on the city below. Several searchlights probed the skies around it, lighting up the building like a beacon. The clouds over the city were dark and grey, as they always were, and always would be.

At that moment, a train was pulling into the Sector 8 station. It was moving at speed, faster than it should be doing. It ploughed across the sector, gaining in speed as it headed towards the Sector 8 reactor.

In an attempt to bring the train to a halt, the signal bar came down. The lights flashed from green to read. The train, however, did not stop and drove straight through the bar, smashing it into pieces. The train went on regardless, continuing on its way.

In the skies overhead, a helicopter followed the train in hot pursuit. A logo was painted onto its side, marking it as a Shinra-issue pursuit chopper.

"Wutai troops have hijacked Shinra Express MK93II. The train is currently headed to Midgar Sector 8."

The pilot's report came in through the headpiece of a young man waiting in the back of the chopper. He was dressed in the dark purple uniform that assigned him as a SOLDIER of 2nd Class Rank. He was barely visible in the shadows of the chopper, but when they flew past a set of lights he was lit up, revealing a head of spiky black hair.

"A SOLDIER operative will be inserted to neutralise the situation," the pilot's voice continued. "We are to proceed as scheduled."

The helicopter began to descend. It settled into a level flight over the train, increasing its speed to match. Inside the chopper the SOLDIER crouched down, preparing himself.

"Commence mission," said the pilot, "in 3, 2 1, mark. Begin mission."

The chopper door unfolded. The SOLDIER rose to his feet and entered the doorway. A rushing wind blew past, whipping past his face and through his hair, and he had to grab onto the doorframe to keep from being blown out.

"Operative is ready for insertion," the pilot reported.

The SOLDIER looked down at the train moving beneath him. The chopper was now moving at an exact match to that of the train, and they moved together. The SOLDIER flexed his shoulders and adjusted the straps that tied his sword to his back, ensuring that it was loose and ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Another voice, this one not coming from his headpiece, spoke from behind him.

"The train has been overrun by Wutai troops," the voice reported. "Eliminate them and regain control of the train."

The SOLDIER looked back into the chopper. His glowing blue eyes had a playful look to them as he grinned and waved to the man behind him. "Oh yeah!" he said.

"Get serious!" the other man scolded, but his words were lost as the SOLDIER turned and jumped out of the helicopter.

The wind caught him as he fell towards the train. As he had been taught, he crouched when he landed to minimise the impact on his body. Even with this, the landing was jarring, but the SOLDIER did not show it. He stayed low as the train passed underneath a bridge, covering him in shadow. Once it had passed and the light returned, the SOLDIER raised his head and looked around him. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he rose to his feet.

"Zack!" called a voice from behind him.

The SOLDIER turned just as another man jumped down behind him. This man was taller than he was and much more heavyset, with strong muscles, a firm jaw and handsome features. His black hair was brushed back and slicked across his head. He wore the black uniform that identified him as a SOLDIER of 1st Class Rank, and strapped onto his back there was an enormous sword. His own glowing blue eyes narrowed as he gave the SOLDIER a reproachful glance.

"Zack," the man repeated, "focus!"

Zack frowned, and he grunted. The other man paid no attention and carried on.

"There are no Shinra troops on this train," he said. "Understood?"

Zack nodded. He turned back to the front of the train. The locomotive continued to speed along the tracks towards Sector 8. The SOLDIER slammed his fist into his palm, while behind him the taller man folded his arms across his large chest, watching him with a keen eye.

After readying himself, Zack ran along the car. He left the other man behind as he ran to the edge and jumped, leaping over to the next car. He landed, his boots slamming hard onto the roof. Zack did not stop but kept on running until he reached the edge again. He jumped again, and he laughed in exhilaration as the wind rushed past his face.

When he landed he started to run again, but was stopped when a hail of bullets suddenly fired into the ground at his feet. Zack drew back, his feet dancing as he dodged the bullets that slammed into the ground. When they stopped Zack lost his balance and fell onto his knees. Another bullet struck the roof near his hand, which he pulled back in alarm.

"Hello to you, too!" he remarked.

Fighting against the rushing wind, Zack got up and began to run again. As soon as he started to move the hail of bullets returned. They came from both ahead and above him, but Zack was not worried. The shudder of the locomotive caused the bullets to fly off-course, missing him by miles. The odd bullet did come too close for comfort, but still Zack was not worried about them hitting. After all, he was SOLDIER 2nd Class. It would be a humiliation for him to be gunned-down that easily.

When he reached the end of the third car he leapt over the gap. As he landed the bullets stopped again. Zack stopped and looked ahead.

There were a number of figures running down the locomotive. Zack's jaw dropped in shock, for the people firing at him were Shinra soldiers! All of them had rifles and machineguns in their hands, and Zack could guess their intent without having to ask.

_I thought Angeal said there were no Shinra troops on this train,_ he thought. Reaching behind him, he closed his hand around the hilt of a large broadsword. "Come and get it!" he shouted in challenge. He drew the sword, gripped it with both hands and then charged at the Shinra soldiers.

The soldiers quickly assembled. Some knelt while others stood behind. Together they opened fire on Zack. The SOLDIER did not break his stride as he swung his sword, blocking the raining bullets that tried to stop him in his tracks.

He broke through the gunfire and reached his targets. With just a few swings of his sword, Zack cut and slashed his way through the line. The soldiers never had a chance to fight back as the SOLDIER forced his way through. When he reached the end Zack jumped and slashed his blade in an arc, knocking the soldiers at the back of the line of the train.

Zack did not look back, but he did smirk. That was almost too easy.

His smile then vanished as he looked ahead. Another group of soldiers were running across the train. Like the others these were also Shinra soldiers, and also heavily armed. When the soldiers opened fire, Zack charged. Once again he used his sword to block the bullets. When he hit the line he repeated his method of cutting through the soldiers, but as they swarmed around to swamp him he jumped into the air. He landed on one soldier and then swung his sword to knock others away from him. He stepped off the soldier and then continued to fight his way through the remained. As soon as he broke through the last of them he ran forward, leaving them behind.

On the next car, another group of soldiers were preparing to attack. Unlike the others, these soldiers were armed not with guns but with powerful bazookas. Zack grit his teeth but did not break his pace. He continued to run straight at them, into their line of fire.

His gaze drifted upwards where, overhead, he caught sight of a series of large, metal rafters. The rafters were built in a crisscross pattern, but there was a single line where the bars did not cross over one another, forming a tunnel.

He looked back to the soldiers. The soldiers were ready now and they opened fire on Zack, releasing explosive projectiles. Zack cursed. Whatever their reason was for hijacking the train, they did not care at all about its safety.

Zack ran straight towards the projectiles. When they drew close, Zack bent his legs and then jumped up into the air. The speed of the train helped to propel him upwards. He soared up and into the tunnel formed by the rafters. The Shinra soldiers below dropped their weapons and stared at him in awe as he sailed over them. Zack grinned, amused by their shocked faces.

"SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, on the job!" he shouted, as he broke through the end of the tunnel. He fell, spinning down towards the train, where he thrust his sword down into the connectors that held the train cars together. The blade sliced right through the metal, severing the connectors.

The rear cars shuddered as they separated from the rest of the train. As the two parts began to pull away from one another, Zack leapt onto the roof of the car in front. The SOLDIER took a moment to look behind him and he smiled in satisfaction as he saw the outraged soldiers glaring back at him.

The rear cars slowed and pulled away from the main locomotive. Zack turned his back on the cars and spun his sword over his head before sheathing it behind him.

"Train MK93 II rerouted to Sector 1 Station near Mako Reactor One. Proceed to mission phase 2 and change surveillance rank…"

The words of the pilot drifted away as the chopper, which had followed along until that point, turned to follow the redirected rear cars of the train. Zack remained on the front part as it continued on its original course until it reached the Sector 8 station. Vents opened and poured hot clouds of billowing steam into the air as the train pulled into the station, coming to a stop.

Zack jumped from the train and landed on the platform. After glancing around to make sure he was alone, he got to his feet. There were no more Shinra soldiers, and no sign of people of any kind. Zack started to head forward when his phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his pocket, he flipped it open.

"Zack speaking," he said.

"Making progress, Zack?" said a familiar voice.

Recognising the voice as the man from the helicopter, Zack put his hand on his hip. "What's going on, Angeal?" he asked. "Why are we fighting Shinra troops?"

"They're Wutai troops in disguise," Angeal explained, in a tone that said it should have been obvious. "Now, head to the open area above."

Zack turned and looked down the platform. At the end of the station was a set of stairs leading towards the upper levels of the sector. "Towards Sector 8?" he asked. He walked forward and gazed up, where the tall reactor tower was just visible.

"Yes," Angeal's voice replied. "But first, you have to clear a path."

Zack turned away from the stairs. "Clear a path?" he asked.

Even as he spoke, a number of men wearing Shinra soldier uniforms ran down the stairs and filled the platform. On seeing Zack, they drew their rifles and ran towards him. Zack, with his back to them, was unaware of their presence.

"You'll see what I mean," said Angeal. "Be careful."

Hearing footsteps behind him, Zack turned to the stairs. He was not surprised when he saw the Shinra soldiers standing there. The soldiers lined up and opened fire on him. Most of the bullets sailed past him; they were really bad shots.

"So, I can cut loose, right?" he asked his unseen guide.

There was a pause. The voice on the other end sighed. "Use some discretion."

That was all Zack needed to hear. He grinned as he flipped the phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. "It's show time!" he said.

Reaching behind him, Zack drew his sword again. It was a simple large broadsword with a thick and heavy blade, perfect for Zack's preferred method of fighting. SOLDIER operatives had the option of fighting any way that best suited their style, and Zack had always excelled at the sword. It was his excellent swordsmanship that had caught the attention of his mentor in the first place. Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, Zack charged at the soldiers.

He ran right through the gunfire and met the soldiers head on. With just a few swings of his sword he knocked aside the first three soldiers, their rifles clattering onto the floor. One soldier drew a grenade and threw it at Zack, but the soldier dived out of the way before it exploded and blew chunks out of the platform.

Zack rolled back onto his feet and swung his sword at the nearest soldier. His opponent cried out and staggered back, clutching at a wound in his chest. Zack smirked and kicked the soldier back onto the floor.

A bullet whizzed past his ear. On instinct Zack turned around and swung his sword in an upward arc. He forced the rifle out of the soldier's hands and kicked him to the floor too. A punch to the head was all that was needed to render him unconscious.

There was only one soldier left now; the one who had thrown the grenade. Seeing that he was alone, the soldier hesitated. He then glanced over his shoulder as a second wave of soldiers stormed onto the platform to join him. His confidence renewed, the soldier raised his gun and charged.

He did not get even three steps before he ran into Zack's sword. The blade pierced his gut and came out on the other side. Zack withdrew it in the same motion and jumped over the soldier as he fell and then ran straight into the second wave. Gunfire rained around him as he charged into the line, ducking and diving and slashing and striking. The air was filled with the sounds of battle; the clash and clang of metal on metal, and the repeated thud of bodies hitting the floor.

By the time Zack was done, not one soldier was left standing on the platform. Zack stood amidst the fallen soldiers, his sword sheathed, and his phone against his ear.

"Not too bad," Angeal remarked.

Zack clenched his fist, proud. "Piece of cake!" he said. "I'll make 1st in no time!"

He heard Angeal chuckle. Then he said: "Go up the stairs at the end of the platform."

Zack began to walk forward. "You got it!" he said, and hung up the phone.

The SOLDIER ran to the end of the platform. When he reached the end he turned and headed up the stairs. There were about three flights, leading away from the station and into the streets of Midgar. As Zack headed up, people from the sector above began to run down towards him. Their faces were filled with fear as they tore past him, not even noticing him. Zack dodged and weaved through them, making his way up the steps.

When he reached the third flight of steps, Zack stopped as a loud roar bellowed from above him. Without any hesitation Zack bolted up the stairs, weaving his way through the fleeing crowds towards Reactor No. 8.

As he drew near to the reactor, Zack felt the air around him change. The tower, always active, cast a pallid green aura over the sector. Even now the reactor was sucking up mako energy from beneath the planet's crust and converting it into usable energy. Every so often the reactor opened its vents, releasing the pent up steam and energy waste into the air, giving it a faint, foul odour. Zack was so used to the scent of mako that he rarely noticed it anymore, as did the other citizens of Midgar. For them, the scent was part of their everyday lives, and they could no more forget it than they could forget everything else to do with their lives.

Zack reached the top of the stairs. He then skidded to a stop as he saw that there was a monster in the middle of the street. It was a Behemoth, one of the many monsters that roamed the barren plains surrounding Midgar. This particular Behemoth was one of the largest Zack had seen, and it was also one of the angriest.

Without even questioning how such a beast had even made it into Midgar, Zack ran towards it. When he drew close he stopped and, as Angeal had taught him, assessed the situation.

The Behemoth had its back to him, but on hearing the SOLDIER's approach it turned to face him. Tiny yellow eyes fixed on him, and the monster's lips curled back to bare its large, yellowed fangs. Raising one of its clawed feet, it slammed it onto the ground. Zack felt the ground tremble, and the Behemoth roared.

Zack reached behind him and drew his sword. He was not afraid of the beast. He gripped his sword in both hands and smiled, psyched up for the fight.

"Oh yeah!" he said, and then charged at the Behemoth.

The monster raised its foot again and brought it slamming onto the ground. Zack dodged and rolled as the monster thrust its head forward, trying to ram him with its sharp horns. Zack leapt back onto his feet and swung his sword, striking the monster's hind leg. The blade scraped across the leathery flesh, cutting a deep graze. The Behemoth roared in pain and staggered back.

Zack rose to his feet, watching the Behemoth. "Not so tough, are you?" he asked.

He then stopped as the Behemoth suddenly rose onto its hind legs. Zack jumped back just as the front legs came crashing back down onto the ground. The impact caused the ground to shake, and Zack tottered, trying to stay on his feet.

A shadow fell over him. Zack jumped back as once again the Behemoth rose and brought its feet down on the ground. When the monster had landed Zack ran forward and jumped onto the Behemoth's head. He ran along its shoulders and back and then leapt off from behind. While he was in mid-air, the SOLDIER twisted his body around and brought his sword down on the monster's hide, cutting another deep gash in its flesh. The Behemoth roared in pain, rearing onto its hind legs again.

Its tail started to thrash. Zack jumped over the tail as it swung past him, and then ducked as it swept past over his head. The third time it came by Zack did not move out of the way in time and was flung across the street. He crashed into a nearby building and slumped onto the floor, dazed.

Zack shook his head and got to his feet. He picked up his sword, which he had dropped when he crashed into the wall. He looked ahead he saw the Behemoth. Its head was down as it charged towards him, its sharp horns pointing straight at him.

"Bring it on!" Zack shouted in challenge, and ran at the Behemoth.

When he drew close, Zack dropped into a roll. He rolled underneath the Behemoth, which had not noticed he was gone and continued to charge. As he passed beneath its belly, he raised his sword and sliced through the soft flesh. Blood spread across the blade and dripped onto the floor, but Zack was already gone. Avoiding the thrashing tail, he rolled out from underneath and scrabbled out of the way.

He turned back to the Behemoth. The monster was flailing wildly. Its four legs stamped on the ground, but its movements only served to increase the amount of blood pouring from its wound. Its head swung left and right, saliva flying from its frothing jaws. Its forelegs crumpled, and the monster's head slammed into the ground. The monster roared. With a great effort, it started to rise again, but its legs crumpled again, and it fell back onto the floor. Its tail still thrashed, striking the floor again and again, but it could not get up.

Zack lowered his sword. He drew back his fist. Flames formed around his hand, circling his fist. With a triumphant cry Zack thrust out his hand and cast the flames towards the Behemoth.

The fireball struck home. Flames swept over the Behemoth's body and engulfed it in a wall of flame. The monster gave a loud roar of pain and stomped across the ground. Its tail lashed and its body thrashed as it tried to shake off the flames.

Too late it saw Zack approaching. The monster tried to draw back, but Zack swung his sword and slashed it across the Behemoth's face. The monster gave one last roar before it slumped, defeated, onto the ground. Without any more resistance, the flames swept over the rest of its body. The Behemoth began to dissolve, burned away by the heat of the flames. When the last traces of its body had disintegrated the flames flickered and died out, leaving only a pile of ash behind.

Zack spun his sword and sheathed it behind him. He turned away from the remains of his opponent. He was just about to walk away when he heard the metallic scrape of a sword being drawn. The tip of a long, slender sword was then thrust over his shoulder. Zack froze and raised his hands, showing that they were empty.

"Showing your back to the enemy…" a voice said. "Overconfidence will destroy you."

Zack sighed. That Angeal… Even when Zack was victorious, he could not resist giving him a lecture. The blade lifted from his shoulder and Zack turned around, keeping his arms raised. He was just trying to decide what face to pull to appease his mentor when he looked up and gasped.

It was not Angeal standing behind him, but Sephiroth. Sephiroth: The legendary hero, SOLDIER 1st Class and the most renowned warrior in the Shinra Company. Zack had only seen him a couple of times, but he had never met the man in person. It was Sephiroth's masamune—his trademark weapon—that was pointing over his shoulder. His green, almost cat-like eyes were staring right at Zack.

"Wh-what is this?" Zack asked, taken aback. _Why is Sephiroth here!_

Before he could find an answer, Sephiroth twisted his blade and thrust it forward. Zack drew his sword just in time and parried the attack with the flat of his blade. Sephiroth drew back his sword and struck again. Zack blocked it. Sephiroth struck again and then again, delivering a relentless assault. Throughout all the blows Zack was forced to stay on the defensive, blocking every blow.

Sephiroth's next attack almost knocked Zack off his feet. He brought the masamune down with all his strength. Zack raised his sword to catch the masamune before it could cut him in two. He grunted, pushing back against the blade.

"Damn it," he cursed, "you're not the only hero!"

Sephiroth just smiled. "It's over," he said.

He began to push down on Zack's sword. Zack grit his teeth and struggled, trying to push back, but Sephiroth was both taller and stronger. He began to overpower Zack, pushing him down towards the floor.

Then, with a start, Sephiroth withdrew his sword. With Zack caught off-balance by the sudden loss of pressure, he slashed his masamune and knocked the sword out of Zack's hands. Zack hit the floor, striking his head on the ground. As for his sword, it had been cut in two by Sephiroth's masamune. The two halves skidded to a stop some distance away, well out of Zack's reach.

* * *

Angeal, who was monitoring Zack's progress in the mission from a safe point nearby, stared at his phone. "Impossible!" he said. He flipped the phone shut. Grasping the hilt of his sword, he ran in the direction of the reactor.

* * *

Sephiroth walked towards Zack, who lay dazed on the floor. He stood over the SOLDIER, looking down at him with a cold gaze. Lifting his masamune, he placed the tip over Zack's chest. Zack opened his eyes and saw Sephiroth standing over him. Sephiroth's expression did not even change as he twisted the blade and stabbed it down. Zack squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the killing blow.

The blow never came. After a moment, Zack dared to open his eyes. He looked up.

The masamune was still hovering over him. It was positioned at an odd angle, as though something had knocked it off-course. The source of the obstruction: a second sword. This other sword had been thrust out at the last second, and it was this that had saved his life. Zack stared at this sword, and saw that it had a broken blade. It was his sword; the one Sephiroth had cut in two. But who was holding it?

He looked left. Angeal was kneeling beside him. He had Zack's sword in his hands and it was he who had stopped Sephiroth. Angeal looked over at Zack, relieved to see that he was okay. He withdrew the sword as Sephiroth, in turn, lowered his.

Zack sat up. "Thanks, Angeal," he said, rubbing his head.

Without saying a word, Angeal rose to his feet. He turned to Sephiroth, who was now standing completely still. The swordsman's expression was blank, almost lifeless. He did not even seem to see Zack or Angeal.

Angeal took out his phone. He flipped through a number of options until he reached the one he wanted: 'Abort Mission'. He selected it, and then confirmed the action.

All at once the landscape began to dissolve. The buildings disappeared, as did the roads and the reactor tower. In their place was an empty room. Angeal walked across the floor as it disappeared beneath his feet. He moved behind Sephiroth, who did not react as the room dissolved around him. Then Sephiroth himself began to dissolve, vanishing from the feet up.

Angeal turned to face Zack. "Training's over," he said, as Sephiroth disappeared.

Zack jumped to his feet. He wore a hologram projection helmet over his face and eyes, which had projected the images for the training session.

"Wha? Why?" he demanded.

Angeal responded by raising Zack's sword. Although the whole session was only a projection, the break in the blade was very real. Seeing the blade, Zack stepped back. "You serious?" he asked. He removed the helmet and threw it onto the floor. "I was just getting warmed up!" he protested, walking over to Angeal.

Angeal looked into his trainee's eager face. He then lowered the sword and turned it over in his hand so that the hilt faced Zack. He held it out to him, and he smiled.

Zack took the sword from him and examined the blade. A clean cut from Sephiroth's holographic sword had cleaved the blade in two. Once again, as always, he was amazed by Shinra's technology. Even holograms had the power to do some very real damage; something he had forgotten. If it had not been for Angeal, he could have been killed by that same hologram. Zack sighed.

Angeal walked forward. He went past Zack, who continued to look at the sword.

"Zack…" he began.

Zack looked up.

"Embrace your dreams."

Zack tilted his head. "Huh?"

Angeal walked until he reached the doorway. Here he stopped, though he did not look back. "If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams…" he said. He inclined his head, and Zack saw the serious look in his eyes as he added, with utmost sincerity: "And honour."

Zack scratched his head as Angeal walked out of the training room. The doors shut behind him, leaving Zack alone. He looked down at his broken sword, with Angeal's words still echoing in his mind.

_Dreams… and honour…_

* * *

**A Note from the Authoress**

Hello and welcome! My name is Grace and I will be your authoress.

To those of you reading my work for the first time, let me tell you a little bit about how this story will run. You will have noticed in the prologue above that I write my stories using the original game scripts. I have done this in all my previous novels and will continue to do so throughout this one. I will occasionally add the odd original scene or piece of dialogue if I feel I need to expand a scene to make it fit more coherently into the story, or to give a little more depth and enjoyment to your reading experience.

To those of you who joining me from my previous works, welcome back! I know I said I would not upload this story until I finished uploading _Final Fantasy VIII_, but given that I am trying to close the gap I created in my chapters, I decided 'what the heck, let's upload them together'.

I have not yet decided whether this game will be split into two instalments, or whether it will fit into one. I shall decide that when I reach my assigned 'cut-off point'.

So, without further ado, I hope you all enjoy my novelisation of _Crisis Core._ As always, if anyone spots any grievous information errors, spelling or grammar mistakes, do let me know, and I shall correct them. I don't bite and won't be offended if someone messages me and says 'um, you made a spelling mistake there, you know'. After all, we're only human, and humans make mistakes. So please let me know! :)

_~Grace Barton_


	2. Part 01: Chapter 01

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Part One: Embrace Your Dreams**

**Chapter One**

Following Angeal's strange and enigmatic departure, Zack left the training room and returned to the SOLDIER floor. With nothing else left to do but wait for a mission to be assigned to him, the swordsman decided to move onto his own preferred method of training: squats.

The SOLDIER floor, as its name suggested, was the place where all the members of SOLDIER congregated to relax and to train. It was located on the 49th floor of the Shinra Building, and it was the only place in the building where members of SOLDIER were permitted to gather.

The other floors belonged to the Company's other departments. The Science Department was one of those that resided on the floors above the SOLDIER floor, as well as the residence of the President himself. No one in SOLDIER went up to the higher levels, and no one from the upper levels ever came down here. Only those with business on either floor showed their faces, and so when there were no missions SOLDIER members were free to do as they pleased.

Unfortunately for Zack, there was not much to do at the moment. The SOLDIER floor was almost empty, as the majority of SOLDIER members were out on assignment, or so Zack assumed. He and a handful of other 2nd and 3rd Class SOLDIERs were among those who had been left behind, and the inactivity was driving Zack crazy.

Sure, the lack of missions meant he got lots of training time with Angeal. Angeal Hewley was one of the few who had made it up to 1st Class, the highest rank in SOLDIER, aside from the Director. Training under him was a privilege, and Zack savoured every moment of it. Yet he never had the opportunity to put his training into action; to show Angeal what he could really do. If he was ever going to make 1st Class, then he needed to become a hero and fast.

Zack grunted as sweat began to run down his brow. It was a good pastime, doing squats. They got the muscles working and the blood flowing, as well as stimulated the mind. It was also a good way to develop stamina, which was important in a SOLDIER operative, who could be sent on missions where the fighting was constant, without a break. Zack probably did more squats than anyone else in SOLDIER ever did, and liked to prove this on a regular basis by challenging the other members whenever the opportunity arose.

As he did his squats, counting under his breath, he glanced out of the window. It was dark outside. The only light came from the eight mako reactors that were dotted around the perimeter of the city. The darkest part of the city was Sector 4, which was still under construction. Once complete, the entire city of Midgar would be lit with the power of mako, an energy source sucked up from beneath the planet's surface. It was expected that the whole city would be completed in about seven years. Zack couldn't wait to see it.

While he was busy doing his squats, one of the other 2nd Class SOLDIERs—a young man a similar age to Zack called Kunsel—came up.

"Hey, Zack," said the SOLDIER as he sat down on the steps leading into the seating area where Zack was doing his exercises. "You seem a little on edge."

"Can you blame me?" Zack asked. He did not his squats while he spoke. "All this training and no assignments. Like they're hanging me out to dry." He grunted as he performed another squat, and another bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "You must be pretty busy," he continued, between pants, "with everyone off-base."

Kunsel looked confused. "Off-base?" he asked, standing up. "Wait, haven't you heard? There's been a mass desertion at SOLDIER."

Now Zack _did_ stop. He rose to his feet and stared at Kunsel.

"It appears one of the 1sts deserted," Kunsel carried on. "He took a bunch of 2nds and 3rds with him, too. Nobody knows why he left, or what he's up to. This mass desertion's the reason why your training's on hold." He started to say more but stopped as he heard footsteps approaching. He turned. "Heads up, a 1st!" he said.

Zack followed Kunsel's gaze and saw Angeal walking towards them. The swordsman noticed that Angeal was still wearing his Buster Sword. He took it with him wherever he went. It was not unusual for SOLDIER members to carry their weapons with them, but that sword was so large and looked very heavy. Not only that, but Angeal also carried a standard-issue Shinra sword, as well, and it was this sword that he often used in training or in battle. It just seemed such a waste to carry both and use only the smaller one, in Zack's opinion.

Angeal stopped at the edge of the stairs and looked over at Zack. "Zack, new assignment," he said.

Zack had to keep himself from jumping for joy. "Woo! Finally!" he cheered. "Some real action!" After wiping the sweat from his brow he ran over to Angeal.

"This will be your show," Angeal told him.

"Yes!" said Zack, clenching his fist.

Amused by Zack's puppy-like eagerness, Angeal tried hard not to smile. "Report to Director Lazard," he ordered. "We'll give you the details."

With that, Angeal turned and walked off. Zack picked up his own sword (standard-issue) from where he had left it while he did his exercises and sheathed it behind his back. Then, giving Kunsel a brief wave, he ran off after Angeal.

* * *

When Zack arrived in the Briefing Room, Angeal was already there waiting for him. The 1st Class SOLDIER was sitting at the main desk with his arms folded, lips turned down into a frown, seemingly deep in thought.

Sat beside him was Lazard Deusericus, Director of SOLDIER. Zack looked at him curiously. He had seen the Director in news bulletins and mission briefings, but he never seen the man up close before.

He was just as Zack had pictured him to be. Tall, slender, and typically looked like he belonged in an office and not on the battlefield. The blond hair was neatly brushed and curled around the back of his neck. His suit was smart and pressed almost to perfection; clearly the Director was a man who took pride in his appearance. The eyes were narrow and cunning and showed great intelligence, hidden behind glasses.

There were a lot of rumours floating around SOLDIER about Director Lazard. It was said that after joining the Company he was promoted through the ranks at exceptional speed. In jus a few short years he had attained his position as Director of SOLDIER. His department stood independently to the rest of the Company, as Shinra's personal army. There was some limited involvement with the Science Department, which appeared to be growing of late. There were also other rumours about the Director himself, but no one dared to say these aloud.

When Zack entered, Lazard raised his head. "Zack," he greeted, getting out his chair. "It's good to finally meet face to face. Lazard, Director of SOLDIER."

He held out his hand. Zack looked down at it and then took it, giving Lazard a smile. "Heya," he said. He gave Lazard's hand a brief shake.

Lazard returned the smile. Then he turned and leaned over the computer that he and Angeal had been monitoring. "On to business," he said.

He typed into the computer. Zack leaned over his shoulder, trying to see.

A SOLDIER profile came up onto the screen. Zack looked at the photo, which showed a serious-faced young man in his mid-twenties with choppy red-brown. His eyes were even more narrow and cunning than the Director's, if that was possible. The words 'M.I.A MISSING IN ACTION' were flashing over the image and a stream of data poured down the side.

"SOLDIER 1st Class, Genesis," said Lazard, sitting back down in his chair. "A month ago, he went missing during a mission in Wutai. Know anything about this?"

Zack shook his head. "Not a clue!" he answered.

Lazard shared a look with Angeal. Angeal's face was dark, troubled, and his muscles tensed at the mention of Genesis's name.

"The mission is currently stuck in limbo," Lazard continued. He pushed up his glasses. "That's why we've decided to send you."

Zack blinked, sure he had misheard. "Uh, to Wutai?" he asked.

"Yes," replied the Director. "This war has gone on long enough."

"I've recommended you for 1st," said Angeal suddenly.

Zack's jaw dropped. His eyes lit up as he spun around to face Angeal, and he laughed in joy. "Angeal!" he cried. Unable to contain himself, he ran over to Angeal and threw his arms around him. "I love you, man!"

Angeal finally managed to detach himself from Zack and pushed the eager young swordsman away. "Don't make me regret this, Zack," he told him.

"Sir!" replied Zack, though his face was still beaming.

Angeal shook his head. He was already regretting his decision. He got out of his chair. "Once you're packed, you'll leave at once," he said.

The door to the briefing room opened and Kunsel walked in. Seeing that Zack was still busy with Angeal and the Director, he stayed in the doorway.

Angeal turned back to Zack. "The operation will begin immediately upon arrival at Wutai. If you have any questions about the assignment or combat in general, you should talk to the other SOLDIER operatives."

Zack nodded. He knew Angeal was only saying that out of duty, not because he doubted Zack's ability. After all, Angeal had recommended him for 1st Class! The swordsman could barely contain his excitement.

Leaving Angeal and Lazard to discuss the plans for the mission, Zack went over to the doorway where Kunsel was still waiting for him.

"So, did you get the mission you wanted, Zack?" he asked. Zack nodded in reply. "I'll tell you anything you need to know," Kunsel told him. "I don't suppose I need to remind you about combat or anything like that, do I?"

"Are you kidding!" exclaimed Zack, clenching his fist. As though a SOLDIER operative personally recommended by Angeal needed reminding of how to fight.

Kunsel smiled. "Well, you've been training and doing squats for so long," he said, "that you might have forgotten how to react in a _real_ battle." He laughed.

"That's just mean…" Zack replied, his head sagging.

Kunsel waved his hand. "You'll do fine," he said. "You can always mail me if you need a memory refresher. By the way, the materia you were using in training has been confiscated." Zack's face fell, and Kunsel laughed again. "Powerful materia have to be earned on your own," he chided. "Those are the SOLDIER rules." He put his hand on his hips, trying to remember if there was anything else he needed to tell Zack. "Oh, and they've finished setting up the new mission assignment system."

Zack blinked. "They did what now?"

"Do you ever read mail that isn't from girls?" he asked. He smiled at Zack's guilty face. "It's a new way to assign missions. At the moment they're more like errands that the company assigns to SOLDIER operatives." He turned and gestured to a large display board that was just visible through the tinted glass walls. "To participate in missions, you have to register your personal information on the mission board. After you register, you can check missions on your handset. Come on," he said, heading out the door, "I'll show you how to register on the mission board."

He led Zack out of the briefing room and into the waiting room. They stopped in front of the mission board. Zack looked back through the windows at Angeal, who was still deep in discussion with the Director. Angeal's face looked more serious than usual. Zack frowned, and he wondered if it had anything to do with that other 1st Class SOLDIER, the one called 'Genesis'. Given how few people made it up to 1st Class, it was probable that Angeal knew him. Then, realising that Kunsel was talking to him, Zack refocused his attention on the board.

"This is the mission board," Kunsel was saying. "Here, try registering yourself now."

Zack looked up at the board. He scratched his head. Following Kunsel's instructions, he signed up to mission assignments. It was simple enough. By registering, Kunsel explained, the company would send out potential missions to SOLDIER members by mail. This meant they could assign new missions to operatives no matter where they were in the world. Kunsel said that it was meant to improve efficiency, but the truth of the matter was that there were so few SOLDIER members left in Midgar now that they needed everyone to do more missions to make up for the loss.

When Zack had finished signing up to the system, Kunsel added: "Now that you're registered, you should try doing a mission."

"You kidding?" replied Zack. "I already got a mission, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," said Kunsel. "Guess I'm so used to you lounging around here doing squats that I forgot." Again, Zack sagged, and Kunsel laughed. "Well, good luck," he said, patting Zack on the shoulder. "I'll be waiting to hear about your exploits on this Wutai assignment. Oh, and be sure to check out the supply pods before you go out. I heard they restocked them again."

Zack nodded. "Will do," he said. "Thanks, Kunsel."

Underneath his helmet, Kunsel smiled. "It'd be a shame to squander the company's good will. I wonder what they gave us this time? All right," he concluded, rubbing his hands together, "looks like you're ready to go. Be sure to keep in touch while you're on assignment. Don't just read mail that you get from girls!" Zack's face flushed, and he scratched his head.

"Well, I guess that's everything," Kunsel finished. "Looks like it's time for you to head out. You're going with Angeal, right? Good luck on the assignment!"

Zack clenched his fist. "Yeah!" he agreed. "Thanks for all the information!"

Kunsel waved and left the Briefing Room. Zack, meanwhile, went back inside to where Angeal and Director Lazard were still waiting for him. Angeal was on his feet, his arms folded and fingers drumming against his arm. As Zack walked in, Angeal unfolded his arms and turned to him.

"We have to leave for Wutai soon," he told Zack. "Are you ready?"

"I'm all set!" the swordsman replied.

Lazard looked up. "I'll be joining you as well," he said. "I'm counting on you."

Zack stood at attention. "Sir!"

The director looked at Zack, his face thoughtful. "By the way," he said, as he leaned back in his chair. "What is your dream? 'To become 1st'… is it?"

"No…" said Zack. He turned away, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling as he put his hands on his hips. "To become a hero!" he answered.

A smile spread on the director's face. "Ah, good!" he said. He leaned forward and folded his hands. "Unattainable dreams are the best kind."

Zack turned back. "Uh, thanks?" he said.


	3. Part 01: Chapter 02

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Two**

It was already nightfall by the time Zack and Angeal reached Mount Tamblin. Located in the central part of the Wutai continent, it acted as a border between the Plains of the Korei no Senshi and the village of Wutai.

Their target was Fort Tamblin: a Wutai stronghold hidden amongst the mountains. It was the last line of defence for the ninja-like people. Until now, they had managed to hold the fort and keep the Shinra Company out. But that was all about to change.

The war between the Shinra Company and Wutai had gone on for almost a decade. It had started when Shinra researchers sent to the continent had discovered that the land was rich in mako energy. The company sent representatives to Wutai to negotiate plans to erect a reactor in the middle of the plains to suck up the mako. This, the representatives explained, would allow the people of Wutai to lead richer and more comfortable lives, as well as provide them with future security under the care of the Shinra Company.

The Wutai elders rejected the proposal. When the representatives became insistent, the village leader—a man named Godo Kisaragi—demanded that they leave their continent. No amount of persuasion could change the elder's mind. The Wutai were a proud people. To them, giving up their land to the Shinra Company meant giving up a piece of themselves and their heritage. This was something they could not do.

The talks soon turned sour. Arguments broke out on both sides. On one side was the Shinra Company, determined to secure rights to build the reactor they desperately wanted. On the other side were the people of Wutai, who would not give up their land and live under the rule of the company. As the arguments escalated, President Shinra made the decision to send in troops to quell the rising anger of the Wutai people. Godo Kisaragi retaliated by ordering his own troops to defend their borders and keep Shinra out. Thus it became a full-scale war.

The rest of the world, for the most part, knew little about the war with Wutai. The Shinra Company referred to it as a 'regrettable misunderstanding of the Wutai people', and hoped for a 'peaceful resolution'. In truth, the war was growing swiftly out of hand, with an increasing number of casualties on both sides. Shinra wanted to end the matter as quickly as possible. In their favour, of course.

The years passed by, and still the war went on. A lack of resources and manpower began to weaken the Wutai, while Shinra—with its numerous forces spanning much of the planet—continued to press on. The Wutai held on but were eventually driven back. Now what remained of their forces had gathered at Fort Tamblin to make their last stand against the Shinra Company, and salvage what remained of their pride.

Zack and Angeal trekked alone through the forested paths of Mount Tamblin. The rest of the army was elsewhere, preparing to engage the Wutai army. As for Zack and Angeal, they were taking a different route up to the fort. The forest path was quiet, but the two men did not relax their guard. They were deep in enemy territory, fighting against an enemy who knew their land just as well as the swordsmen knew their own homeland.

After several minutes of walking, Angeal paused and looked up at the trees. There, just over the treetops, he could see the top of a tall building. "Fort Tamblin is straight ahead," he told Zack. "Let's hurry, B Unit is standing by."

Zack nodded, and they quickened their pace. They had barely made it past a grove of trees when a Wutai soldier burst out of the bushes and blocked their path.

"You two!" he snapped, raising his gun. "Identify yourselves!"

Zack and Angeal said nothing. They looked up as two more soldiers, dressed in the same uniforms as the first soldier, ran up to stand beside him. The first soldier, seeing that he was not going to get an answer, signalled to his men. They charged together, preparing to take the enemy down.

Angeal frowned and reached for his Buster Sword. He then stopped as Zack put out his hand. The 2nd Class SOLDIER walked forward to face the soldiers, who had stopped in hesitation. Zack grinned as he drew his own sword from its sheath.

"Just leave it to me!" he said, with a glance at Angeal. He then raised his sword, swinging the hilt in his hands. He then stood ready and gestured to his opponents.

The three soldiers gathered around him. Zack looked around at them, sizing them up. Despite being a nation of ninja-like people, they had taken to using armour and guns and other such weapons during the course of the war. Their ordinary weapons—shurikens, nunchakus and katanas—were no match against the advanced weaponry of the Shinra army. So they had adapted weapons stolen from defeated SOLDIER operatives so they could fight and defend their homes.

Tightening his grip on his sword, Zack ran into battle. He met the first soldier head on and brought his sword up in a long arc, knocking the gun from the soldier's hands. Zack then spun, swinging his sword around him and slicing it across the soldier's torso. The Wutai soldier groaned and fell back onto the floor.

The other soldiers raised their guns and opened fire. Zack dodged and rolled out of the way. He came up beside one of the other soldiers and kicked, knocking the soldier off-balance. Jumping to his feet, Zack punched him in his helmet. This caused the soldier to stagger, and then Zack snatched the gun from his hands. Pressing the barrel against the soldier's chest, Zack pulled the trigger. The soldier crumpled.

More bullets rained at him. Zack jumped and then blocked some with his sword. He was still holding the dead soldier's gun, so he turned and fired back at the remaining Wutai soldier. He hit the soldier in his helmet, and the soldier fell to the ground.

Zack laid the gun next to the soldier he had taken it from. He then spun his sword in a victory pose and sheathed it against his back. "All right," he said, rubbing his hands together, "next!" He put his hands on his hips, grinning.

Angeal, who had watched the whole thing, walked past him. "Calm down, Zack," he chided.

Zack shrugged. "No can do," he replied, still grinning. "The director is watching from somewhere, right? I have to make a good impression."

At first, Angeal said nothing. He carried on walking along the path, past the dead soldiers. Then he stopped and folded his arms across his chest, frowning in thought. "Zack…" he said after a moment. "Do you know about dumbapples?"

"No," replied Zack, also folding his arms. "What is that?"

Angeal appeared surprised. "Unbelievable…" he remarked, and he rubbed his chin. "How can you not know about dumbapples? You'll never make 1st at that rate." He shook his head and then carried on walking.

Zack stared after him. "Whoa, wait!" he shouted, chasing after Angeal. "What are dumbapples!"

* * *

"So Angeal," said Zack, after he had finally caught up, "what's the deal with 'dumbapples'?"

Fort Tamblin was just ahead. Angeal glanced around him. There were no more soldiers around; it seemed that only one force had been sent to check out the front. Deciding that they were alone and had a few moments to spare, he stopped and turned to Zack, who was waiting with an expectant look on his face.

"The official name is Banora White," he explained. "The trees bear fruit at random times during the year. Because of that, the townspeople affectionately call them dumbapples. The local farms had plenty of them to spare."

"Oh, really?" interrupted Zack, grinning. "So you stole them."

"We were poor, Zack."

"Nice excuse!"

Angeal nodded, conceding. "But even then," he continued. "I had my honour. The largest Banora White tree grew on a wealthy man's estate. It was rumoured that those apples tasted the best. But I never stole from that tree, because the wealthy man's son was my friend."

Zack put his arms behind his head and walked past Angeal. "If he was a friend, you should have just asked for some!" he said.

Angeal smiled, knowing that Zack would say that. Raising a finger, he said: "Honour can be quite a burden at times."

He gauged Zack's reaction. The 2nd Class SOLDIER was frowning as he thought this over, trying to understand it. "…And what exactly does this have to do with me?" he asked eventually, looking up at Angeal.

"No story is not worth hearing," Angeal replied. He folded his arms, smirked, and then carried on down the path.

Again Zack frowned, thinking this over. Then he looked up and turned to Angeal, who had begun to laugh. "What? That's it?" he asked. Angeal did not reply and carried on laughing. "Yeah, well, thanks a lot!" Zack snapped, though he could not help but smile as well. It was a small story, a simple story. But when Angeal told it, it carried more words than Zack could possibly hear or understand.

He started to run after Angeal when his handset beeped, receiving a message. Zack pulled out his phone. The message was from Director Lazard. Suddenly eager, Zack opened the mail, wondering if it was an appraisal of how he was doing so far.

It was not an appraisal. The mail spoke of the mission he was currently undertaking in Wutai, and how it was aimed that this battle would bring an end to the years-long war. It also confirmed what Kunsel had told him about members of SOLDIER leaving the company, though it mentioned nothing about them deserting, as Kunsel had said. Was he wrong about that, and it was nothing more than a rumour? After all, what reason did they have to desert SOLDIER? It was true that there were disagreements about the war's legitimacy, but was that really a reason to up and go?

"Zack!"

It was Angeal. He had stopped further up the path and looked at Zack with an impatient look in his eye. "Don't dawdle. Remember, Lazard is watching."

Zack closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "Yeah, I know," he said, and hurried after Angeal.

* * *

Not long after, Zack and Angeal arrived at the entrance of Fort Tamblin. The Wutai stronghold was an impressive sight; nestled against the mountain and surrounded by tall trees, making it seem like it was not built by man but part of the nature that grew around it.

Angeal took up his position behind some shrubbery close to the side of the building. On his instructions, Zack headed off to do a quick check of the immediate area.

While Zack was gone, Angeal made a quick survey of the fort. According to the information they had received, the building was made up of two parts: an interior and an exterior. The exterior part of the building was guarded by high walls shielding a maze of pathways and watchtowers. The interior comprised of a courtyard surrounding a building that was the heart of the fort, and it was this building that was their objective.

The mission itself was simple. Zack was to infiltrate Fort Tamblin and create enough of a ruckus to draw the enemy's forces towards him. Angeal would then plant a bomb inside the fort without the enemy's knowledge. He and Zack would then withdraw. Once the fort was destroyed, Wutai would have no defences left. The war would end with the destruction of this fort.

There came the rustle of leaves behind him. Angeal started to reach for his sword when Zack burst out of the brush. Angeal let out a sigh and released his grip.

"B Unit will set off an explosion," he told Zack as the swordsman knelt down on the grass beside him. "That's our cue."

"The diversion will allow us to infiltrate," Zack said.

Angeal nodded. "Right," he replied. "I'll set the bomb inside the fortress. You'll charge the front gate, and…"

"Uh-huh, and?" asked Zack, his face eager. "And? And? And?"

"Indulge yourself," Angeal finished.

Zack grinned and smacked his fist into his palm. "You got it!" he said. "That's what I do best!" He turned back to the fort. It was still very quiet out. There was no sign of life inside the fort. The swordsman tried to relax, but he found it very difficult. Every muscle in his body was tense with excitement, eager to get underway. Zack got to his feet and peered out over the brush. "Come on, B Unit…" he urged.

Unlike Zack, Angeal had no trouble calming himself. He took a deep breath, letting out all the tension in his body in that one breath. Reaching behind him, he drew the Buster Sword. Despite its large size, Angeal was able to hold it with ease. The blade was made out of a metal that was stronger and denser than steel, but yet it was also as light and as easy to wield as a regular broadsword. It was said that weapons made out of that metal could cut through concrete. Zack longed to see that in action. It was also said that the sword belonging to Sephiroth, the legendary SOLDIER hero, was made out of the same material.

For a moment Angeal looked down at the blade. It was in pristine condition, without a scratch or mark to mar its perfect surface. There was not even a speck of dirt on it. The SOLDIER closed his eyes and pressed the blade against his forehead. The metal was cold against his skin and sent a faint shiver through him, awakening his senses for the battle that was to come. Once he was done, Angeal sheathed the blade behind him once more. Through the corner of his eye he saw Zack watching him.

"You know," said Zack, kneeling down, "I've never actually seen you use that. Don't you think it's sort of a waste?"

"Use brings about wear… tear… and rust," Angeal replied. "And that's a real waste."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Angeal. He smiled. "I can be pretty cheap."

"Yeah, no kidding…" said Zack. He started to say more but his words were interrupted as the ground began to tremble. He looked up and turned to the fort as a bright light flashed, illuminating the building. A powerful explosion split the air. Zack jumped to his feet while Angeal peered through the bushes. On the other side of the building there came the flicker of flames, followed by a pillar of black smoke.

The time for talk was over. Angeal looked at Zack and said: "Begin mission."

Zack nodded. He grasped his sword and then jumped over the bushes. Leaving Angeal, who would make his own way into the fort, he ran on towards the fort's main entrance.

As planned, he could hear the commotion going on inside. Shocked cries and booted footsteps echoed inside the walls as soldiers scattered about, trying to comprehend what was going on. Two soldiers on the battlements caught a glimpse of Zack as he darted through the undergrowth. One soldier opened fire while the other called a warning to his comrades inside the fort. Zack grinned as he dodged the bullets. So far everything was going as planned.

He reached the outer courtyard. A welcoming committee had run out to meet him. A large number of soldiers lined up before the front gate, which was locked and barred. More soldiers were on the battlements, armed with rifles. The odds were more than thirty to one. Zack grinned again; he liked the look of those odds.

A Wutai sergeant stood at the front of the line. He turned to his men. "No one passes beyond this point!" he shouted. "The enemy is but one man! Obliterate him!"

Zack drew his sword. He was one man, yes, but he was also a member of SOLDIER. The Wutai soldiers were in for a surprise if they thought they could take him down like this. After all, he was 2nd Class—soon to be 1st Class, with any luck. Holding his sword ready, he charged at the Wutai army.

Seeing his charge, the sergeant beckoned to his men. They charged all at once, coming at Zack from both sides.

When the first soldiers reached him, Zack stopped and swung his sword. He cut down the first soldiers in a single blow and then dived, rolling over the ground and passing by several more before he jumped back onto his feet and swung his blade again, taking out more from the rear.

He heard gunfire coming from above him. Zack spared a glance upward and saw that the soldiers on the battlements had opened fire on him. Ignoring the bullets, Zack turned away and ran back into the fray.

He took out the next few soldiers with as much ease as the first. He rolled again as bullets struck the ground by his feet. Rolling back onto his knees, he cast magic from his _Fire_ materia (which Angeal had returned to him after much pleading) and sent three fireballs shooting up towards the western battlement. He managed to take out two of the soldiers but the third ducked out of sight, and the fireball missed.

Not bothered by this, Zack returned his attention to the soldiers on the ground. Two soldiers were running straight towards him. Raising his sword, Zack swung it at the nearest soldier, who jumped back and avoided the strike. Zack was then forced to dodge as well as the other soldier struck at him with a fist.

"Are you kidding me!" Zack said, stifling a laugh. "You're trying to _hit_ me?"

He started to run forward, but stopped as the butt of a rifle pressed into his back. "That's as far as you go!" a soldier spat.

Without a second's hesitation, Zack jumped off the ground. The soldier fired, but the bullet missed Zack as he flipped up and overhead. The bullet instead hit one of the soldier's comrades, who crumpled to the floor. Zack landed behind the soldier and kicked him off his feet before thrusting his sword through his gut.

Soldiers swarmed around him. With his sword still stuck in the body of the soldier he had just killed, Zack jumped and kicked back another soldier who had come too close. Pulling his sword free he turned and sent another fireball shooting up towards the battlements, taking out the third soldier he had missed earlier.

Outraged, the soldiers intensified their attack. More bullets began to rain down from the remaining soldiers on the battlements. Zack was forced to jump and dodge to avoid being hit, as well as dodge the blows of the soldiers on the ground. The Wutai sergeant, seeing how the battle was rapidly turning into chaos, shouted above the gunfire to try and regain control of his troops.

It took a minute or so before the chaos seemed to calm down. The soldiers on the battlements ceased their gunfire and stood ready while the ground soldiers pulled back to reform their lines. The sergeant stepped in front of his soldiers and raised his hand, preparing to signal another attack, when a shadow fell over him.

It was Zack. He landed in front of the sergeant, spun around to face him and punched him hard in the helmet. The sergeant staggered back, stunned, and then fell back onto the floor.

Seeing their commander fall, the nearest soldiers broke formation and swarmed around Zack. Several rifles pointed in his direction but Zack, unperturbed, gripped his sword and ran straight at the nearest soldier. Taking him down with a single thrust of his sword, he then dodged as a wave of bullets flew around him. After blocking a few with his sword, the swordsman charged, cutting them down before they had a chance to retaliate or defend themselves.

When the rest of the soldiers saw this, they also broke their lines and ran to re-join the fray. The remaining three soldiers on the battlements raised their guns and took aim, waiting for an opening.

Except that one never came. Even as their comrades swarmed, shooting and striking with their fists, they did not land a single blow on their target. Zack moved quick, zipping in and out from between the lands, rolling when he had no opportunity to dodge. Only the flash of light glinting from the SOLDIER's sword signalled when he was about to strike, and by then it was too late. Soldiers began to drop to the ground in quick succession, either dead or unconscious.

As the Wutai numbers began to thin out, the soldiers on the battlements took their chance and opened fire. One soldier saw an opening as Zack turned away to strike down a soldier who had been sneaking up from behind. With a yell of triumph and rage, the soldier pulled the trigger.

On hearing the yell, Zack instinctively twisted his body out of the way. The bullet skimmed across his shoulder, cutting a graze and singing the skin but little more. Ignoring the pain, Zack drew another fireball into his palm and threw it up at the battlements. It hit the rock wall and blew it apart. Two of the soldiers, including the one who had shot at him, staggered and flailed their arms. The third soldier lost his balance and fell over the edge, landing on his head with a sickening crunch.

But Zack had little time for sympathy. There were now only seven soldiers remaining, including those still on the battlements. In the space of just a couple of minutes, Zack had almost decimated the entire outer defences. Zack tried to suppress a smirk, and wondered how his quick and easy elimination of the Wutai army would affect Director Lazard's evaluation of him.

But before he could think about that, he had a mission to complete. He raised his sword and charged at the remaining ground soldiers. They jumped back to avoid his blade and spread out to surround him.

Zack almost shook his head. The soldiers thought that, by circling him like that, they had trapped him. Yet even though he was trapped, they were also restricted from using their weapons in case they hit each other. Whereas he, on the other hand, was free to use any method he felt was necessary.

He called upon his _Fire_ materia. Instead of drawing the magic into his hand like before, he channelled it into his sword. A sheet of fire swept across the blade, turning it into a fiery sword. The metal glowed red as it heated up, but Zack was not afraid of it melting. It would take a great deal of heat to melt Shinra-made weapons.

Zack held his blade across his body. The light of the flames flickered across his face and enhanced the glow of his mako-infused eyes. He shifted his stance and spun in a circle, swinging his sword around him.

In that move, the flames were thrown off the blade and extended out in a wide arc. They hit the soldiers around him, even as they turned to flee. The soldiers cried out in pain as they dropped to the floor, rolling about in the dirt to put out the flames.

A bullet whizzed past Zack's ear. With a calmness that surprised even him, he turned to the two soldiers standing upon the battlements. Seeing his glowing eyes turn to them they flinched but held their ground.

"Don't worry," Zack said to them, "I haven't forgotten you."

He raised his sword. Another cloak of fire shot across the blade. With two sharp swings he sent thin blades of fire flying up to the battlements. Both hit the two soldiers: one was knocked back, while the other toppled off the battlements to land alongside his other fallen comrade.

Zack sheathed his sword. "All right!" he cheered, clenching his fist. "Piece of cake!"

He turned back to the other soldiers. Some of them had succumbed to the flames, but two of them were still shouting and flailing about in the dirt. Feeling a little bit sorry for them, Zack picked up one of the rifles that had been dropped during the fight. He fired two shots, and the soldiers fell limp.

_This may be war,_ Zack thought as he put down the weapon, _but that doesn't mean you have to suffer._

He turned back to the gate, which was still closed. Zack had hoped that his altercation with the enemy would cause those inside to open the gate, but it seemed they were smarter than that. Zack smacked his fist into his palm. It was no matter. He would just find another way in.

So, with that plan in mind, he hurried to the gate.


	4. Part 01: Chapter 03

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Three**

Inside Fort Tamblin, everything was quiet. Zack thought that this was a bit strange, considering all the noise he had made outside. _Perhaps the soldiers think I'm dead,_ he wondered, _and that's why everything is so quiet. _The thought was almost insulting. It was also a bit disappointing, since he could not impress Director Lazard without the enemy being around.

After deciding that it was too risky to try entering the fort by the front gate, he decided to look for an alternative way in. He decided to enter via the battlements, where the rubble left from the battle made a handy stepping-stone. He also had a good view of the fort from up here, and so he made a quick survey of the interior.

The layout was much as their scouts had informed them. The maze made up the front part of the fort, with several twists and turns leading towards the centre. For now, Zack focused his attention on the maze, trying to map out a route to the centre. Once he was sure he had the route mapped out in his head, Zack stepped out from behind the wall and looked down into the fort.

On the other side of the main gate there were three soldiers patrolling the grounds. _So the Wutai aren't completely oblivious, after all,_ Zack thought with a grin. _Good. It would have been too boring otherwise._

He jumped off the wall and landed by the gate. As he landed the soldiers turned in surprise. Seeing the uniform of a member of SOLDIER, they quickly surrounded him.

"Enemy attack!" one of the privates called, raising his voice to any soldiers within earshot. "It's SOLDIER! Don't let him get through!"

They rushed into the attack. Zack drew his sword and cut them all down with a few sharp swings. He had contemplated using his materia, but decided against it. In this cramped maze, he was just as likely to set himself on fire as well as his opponents. It was better to wait until he had more fighting room before he used that.

After he had finished moving the bodies into a dark corner near the gate, his phone began to ring. Zack answered and Angeal's familiar voice buzzed through.

"Were you able to get inside the fortress?"

Zack almost laughed. "Piece of cake!" he reported. "I could have done it blindfolded!"

"Don't get too careless," Angeal warned him, his tone sharp. "I've heard that the Wutai keep a large monster for anti-SOLDIER purposes. It should be somewhere inside Fort Tamblin."

_A large monster…_ Zack thought. He fought his rising excitement. Any monster that was meant to deal with SOLDIER members had to be strong. "If I take it out," he said, "do you think I'll make 1st?"

Angeal paused before answering. "It depends on the quality of your work," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Your main duty is to draw the Wutai troops to you by running amok. Do that well, and the director will give you a favourable evaluation."

"Oh, that'll be easy!" said Zack. "Just leave it to me!"

He hung up. After taking a moment to regain his bearings, he set off into the maze.

He did not get far before another enemy appeared to block his path. This one was a Foulander, one of the native monsters of Wutai. The creature was much like an oversized cat with slender but powerful legs and large, hooked claws. Over its body was a thin cloak, and its head was covered by a hideous tribal mask that marked it as a trained fighter of Wutai. The mask was meant to intimidate and frighten attackers, but to Zack it just looked ridiculous. He started to wonder what the monster thought of its 'battle garments', but then remembered that this monster was here to fight, not to have its clothing admired.

Zack was about to draw his sword when two shadows flashed past overhead. Looking up, he saw two Wutai soldiers running across the battlements.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, before they turned and jumped off the wall. They landed in front of the Foulander, which padded forward to join them.

_So the stories of Wutai training their monsters are true,_ Zack thought as the soldiers charged at him. He drew his sword. _Oh well, I may as well take care of them._

It did not take him long. Despite their apparent eagerness, the soldiers were hesitant and wary and therefore easy to overcome. The Foulander was trickier, for it kept bounding out of reach of his sword. It also had no qualms about using _Fire_ magic despite the lack of space. This had caught Zack off-guard. It was not unusual for monsters to have materia and to use magic, but it wasn't common either.

Once he had dealt with the enemy he hid the soldiers' bodies alongside those of the gate guards. The Foulander disposed of itself by dissolving into dust, as many other monsters did. He then left them and continued on into the maze.

He had just turned a corner when a loud voice shouted: "Open fire!" Hearing them, Zack threw himself back into the previous path just as a volley of bullets flew past him. Sparing a quick glance around the wall's edge, he saw three Wutai privates gathered at the end of the path. Each one had a rifle and was firing relentlessly.

The swordsman waited until the bullets came to an end. Zack peered out again, his hand reaching towards his sword, expecting to rush in while the soldiers were reloading their weapons. So he was very surprised when, instead of reloading their weapons, the soldiers turned and ran away!

_That's odd,_ Zack thought, _but hey, I'm not complaining!_

He came out of his hiding place and ran down the path. He slowed when he reached the end, expecting another ambush of bullets as he reached the turn. However no bullets came, and there was no sign of the soldiers. They had escaped. Zack scowled and put his hands on his hips, frowning in disappointment. He was never going to impress Director Lazard if the enemy just ran away from him!

While he was trying to think of what to do next, he heard a grating noise come from behind him. Zack turned and then jumped in surprise as he saw the wall directly behind him swing open into the corridor beyond. Three Wutai soldiers came running out of the 'door'. One of the soldiers, a sergeant, called out orders to his men to surround their enemy.

Calmly and without rushing, Zack drew his sword. At the sergeant's command the two privates lunged, trying to stab at him with the ends of their rifles and catch him off-guard. Zack knocked their rifles aside with his sword and then jumped out of their reach. As he anticipated, the soldiers moved forward to close the gap. When Zack landed he immediately dropped to the ground and swung his leg around, knocking the two soldiers off their feet.

Behind him, the sergeant fumbled with his gun and raised it to fire. Before he could pull the trigger Zack turned and grabbed hold of the rifle. With a twist and a yank he pulled it out of the sergeant's hands. The sergeant snarled in protest and made to snatch the weapon back, but Zack suddenly rammed the rifle butt into his gut. The sergeant groaned and keeled over, hugging his sides. Zack then brought the flat side of his sword down on the soldier's head, and he dropped to the ground.

Using his acquired rifle, Zack finished off the other two soldiers in two quick shots. After a moment's hesitation he also finished off the sergeant. It seemed pointless, but he could not risk them running off and getting reinforcements. There was nowhere to hide the bodies either, so he was forced to leave them where they were. He put the rifle down across the body of the leader and then turned to the wall.

The wall was closed now. Zack went over to examine it. _This wall revolved,_ he thought to himself. _But how?_

He gave it a closer look. It looked like an ordinary wall, but it would have been too obvious if it was noticeable. The swordsman ran his fingers around the edges of the wall. He then noticed that there was a line cut into the border between this section of the wall and the next one. The groove was hollow. Zack followed it up and saw that the wall came to a stop a centimetre from the top, and he caught a glimpse of a metal pole that was cut into the wall, creating an anchor on which it could swivel.

Zack's brows rose, impressed at the cunning of the Wutai architects who had designed this trap. With this they could move quickly throughout the maze while their opponents scurried around lost and confused. He would never have noticed it at all if he had not seen it work with his own eyes.

While he was examining the wall he heard a voice shout out on the other side. "This way!" it said. "Follow me!"

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Zack started to back away and look for a place to hide when an idea struck him. These soldiers intended to ambush him with another surprise attack. Now that he knew how the wall worked, he could surprise them instead!

He listened as the footsteps drew closer. They stopped, and the voices on the other side of the wall hushed. Zack watched as the wall began to move. As soon as he caught a glimpse of the soldiers he dived down the other side of the wall and into the corridor beyond. At the same time the Wutai soldiers darted through their side… right into an empty corridor.

"Attack if you dare, SOLDIER scum!" the sergeant in charge of the group shouted. "You will fall by our hands!"

When he saw that the corridor was empty, the sergeant lowered his rifle. "Huh? Where did he go? Sneaky little pest!" he cursed, and spat on the ground. Then, hearing the wall move behind him, he saw Zack run out of the doorway and stop behind them, his sword drawn and ready. "Ngh!" the sergeant grunted as he and his fellow soldiers turned to face their enemy. "What treachery!"

Zack, still grinning at his own cunning, swung his sword and leapt into battle. He cut down the first private with just a few swings and then blocked the gunfire of the other. Zack jumped and landed behind the soldier. He delivered a kick to knock him off-balance and then thrust his sword through his stomach.

As the soldier fell, bullets whizzed past Zack's ear. The swordsman turned to see the sergeant reload his gun and open fire. Zack blocked the bullets with his sword, grunting as each round jarred through him. He inched his way backwards and then stopped as his back hit the wall behind him.

Seeing that the SOLDIER was trapped against the wall, the sergeant lowered his rifle and lunged. Zack waited until the last moment before twisting out of the way. The sergeant recovered quickly and turned to give chase. He reached out to grab Zack's shoulder, but the swordsman turned, grabbed hold of the revolving wall and spun it with all his might. The wall smacked into the sergeant's head with a dull _clank._ The sergeant wobbled, groaned, and then slumped onto the ground.

Moving the bodies into the adjacent corridor, Zack closed the revolving wall. He was just about to head on when he heard his phone ringing in his pocket. Recognising the director's number, Zack immediately answered.

"This is Lazard. Enemy troops appear to be lurking in every corner. This fortress will not go down easily."

"It appears that way," replied Zack, glancing back at the wall behind him. "I was just assaulted while I was checking a revolving wall."

On the other end of the line, Lazard grunted as he acknowledged this. "There may be similar traps set up at the other walls," he said. "Proceed with caution."

He hung up. Zack slipped the phone back into his pocket and folded his arms, trying to think. Searching for traps would be time-consuming, but it seemed that he had no other choice. Besides, being a member of SOLDIER meant more than just running headfirst into battle. Director Lazard wanted to see all of his skills, not just his fighting skills. Did Angeal know of the traps? Zack shook his head. Angeal was a 1st Class SOLDIER. He could handle anything the Wutai could devise.

He continued on through the fort. As the director had said, the Wutai were indeed hiding in every corner. Each time he turned he seemed to encounter more soldiers who were coming to stop him. In one area he found a treasure chest. It turned out to be empty, but when he opened the box four Wutai soldiers jumped down from the battlements and surrounded him. Zack had managed to fight his way out of it, but after that he resolved to be extra careful when inspecting anything else in the fort.

Despite his efforts he found himself ambushed a second time whilst checking out another area of the maze. A Wutai sergeant who had been keeping watch overhead signalled to two Foulanders that were walking nearby. The beasts ran in and blocked his exit, preventing him from passing. Like before, the Foulanders had no objection to using their fire magic in the confined space, and Zack was forced to kill them quickly to avoid being burnt alive.

After he head defeated the Foulanders, Zack continued on through the maze. As he was running he caught sight of movement above him. Turning his head, he saw two privates giving chase on the battlements.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, and they opened fire.

Bullets fell around him. Zack grunted and started to draw his sword, but a roar behind him made him skid to a stop. The swordsman turned back to where another two Foulanders were running up. He then looked back as the two soldiers jumped down from the battlements behind him. Now he was surrounded. Beneath their helmets, Zack could see the soldiers grinning. They thought they had the upper hand. Zack tried to suppress a grin of his own as he drew his sword. Had they forgotten that he was SOLDIER?

One of the Foulanders leapt at him. Zack ducked down and the monster sailed over his head. As it landed Zack turned and thrust his sword through its gut. The monster pulled away on instinct, wobbled and then dropped to the floor with its tail still flailing. Zack leapt over its body and went on to clash with the two soldiers. They tried to surround him, but Zack was faster and kept out of their reach. He then dived aside as one of the soldiers opened fire. He came up beside the soldier and slashed with his sword. The rifle dropped to the floor, followed by the soldier's lifeless body.

The other soldier was more hesitant now. On the other hand, the remaining Foulander was not the least bit fazed. Flames licked inside its mouth as it channelled its _Fire_ magic. It spat and shot out the flames in a long stream, forcing Zack to duck and roll out of the way. Risking a fire blast of his own, he sent a ball of concentrated fire energy towards the Foulander. The flames ignited the cloth. Within moments the monster was engulfed in a wall of fire. Its pained roars were quickly lost as the flames swallowed it, dissolving it into ashes.

The other soldier had overcome his shock now. He lunged at Zack, who raised his sword to guard himself as the soldier tried to strike him with his rifle. As the two stood together, Zack heard his opponent utter an unpleasant oath. Zack scowled and shoved the soldier back. He swung his sword. The soldier gave a yelp of pain and clutched at his stomach. Blood stained his clothes. He clutched his hands over the wound, but blood continued to seep through them. He managed to glare at Zack before falling down onto the floor.

In a far corner of the maze Zack found another revolving wall. This time he recognised it and he was able to prepare himself for the oncoming attack. The wall swung open and two soldiers hiding on the other side opened fire. Zack pulled back, blocking the bullets with his sword. As he retreated, another two soldiers dropped down from the battlements behind him.

Once he had finished off those soldiers, he headed on. After travelling a little further ahead, he stopped to catch his breath. He leant against a wall, panting hard.

"SOLDIER operative sighted!" a voice shouted from above. "He's under the tower!"

Zack looked up. The wall he was leaning against was the wall of a look-out tower, and at the top of that tower was another Wutai soldier. The sergeant was waving a torch and signalling, no doubt to nearby soldiers.

_So that's how they know where I am,_ Zack thought. _I was beginning to wonder how they kept on managing to find me._

Movement came from the battlements. Another sergeant was approaching, with two Foulanders running in tow. When they reached Zack they jumped down and ran over to where Zack was standing.

"So that's where you are!" the sergeant spat. "38th Tamblin Unit, charge!"

Zack drew his sword. He heard a thud as the other sergeant jumped down from the tower to stand behind him. Not wanting to get surrounded yet again, Zack gave a yell and charged into the fray. He took out the tower-guard before he could shout for any more reinforcements and then turned to deal with the others. One of the Foulanders leapt and Zack twisted his body out of the way, just missing its sharp claws. The other Foulander did the same and Zack dived to the side.

When he stood, bullets whizzed past his face. The swordsman blocked the bullets and then jumped and brought down his sword on the sergeant's head. The resulting _thwack_ could be felt all the way to Zack's shoulder. The soldier wobbled and then dropped to the ground.

Next he turned his attention to the Foulanders. Flames licked inside the mouth of one of the monsters as it bounded towards him. Zack let himself drop back onto the ground just as the monster pounced. He brought up his sword and the blade sliced through the monster's gut as it sailed over him. Placing his feet on the monster's belly, Zack pushed the monster off and sent it flying through the air. It smashed into the tower wall, and then fell still.

Before Zack could celebrate his victory, a warm glow came from behind him. The swordsman had barely turned his head when a fireball slammed into him and drove him back against the wall. Zack gasped as hot flames seared his throat. He looked through the flames to see the remaining Foulander now charging towards him. More flames licked about the inside of its mouth. Zell yelled and pushed himself away from the wall. He ran at the monster and met it head on. He swung his sword, and at the same moment the flames leapt from the monster's mouth.

The two passed one another. The fireball the Foulander had cast split into two and flickered out of existence. A second later the Foulander's head dropped onto the floor. Its body soon followed, twitching in defeat.

Zack sagged against the wall, panting. He looked down at his sword, where blood was dripping from the blade. No doubt Angeal would chew him out for being so reckless with his weapon. The swordsman smiled as he wiped sweat from his brow. He could already picture the lecture…

Before he could finish the thought, his phone began to ring. Recognising the director's number, Zack immediately flipped it open.

"We have new intel," said the director before Zack could speak. "Enemy troops have also been detected at the two towers within the fortress."

"Well, that makes sense," said Zack. "I just took out one of those towers."

Lazard grunted. "You'll have to look for the other tower," he ordered. "Otherwise, the enemy can easily track your position."

He hung up. Zack looked at it for a moment and then slipped the phone back into his pocket. He felt a little… disappointed. He had hoped that taking out one of the towers already would have impressed the director, but Lazard had not sounded surprised at all. If he did not manage to impress Lazard with his performance, then he would not make it to 1st Class. Then what would Angeal say?

Pushing all thoughts of becoming 1st out of his mind, Zack recalled the layout of the maze. Now that he thought about it, he had seen two towers. One was near the beginning of the maze, and the other was closer to the centre. The swordsman looked around him.

_I've come pretty far in,_ he realised. _So this must be the second tower. …Looks like I'll have to go back._ He sighed at the thought. Going all the way back was going to be a pain, but he had little choice.

He made his way back through the maze towards the entrance. No more soldiers appeared to block his path, which was a relief. _I must have taken out the majority of their forces,_ Zack realised. He couldn't help but feel smug.

After a few turns he found the first tower. Zack was surprised he had missed it the first time, for it stood right in the middle of the path. As he expected there was a Wutai sergeant standing at the top of the tower. The sergeant jumped in surprise as Zack came running up, clearly not expecting to see the swordsman back here.

"To think one SOLDIER operative did this much damage to us…" Zack heard the sergeant say as he stopped at the base of the tower. "It seems I can no longer just sit back and watch." Zack then watched as he climbed over the rail and jumped down to land in front of him. The sergeant drew his weapon and held it ready. "Halt!" he commanded.

Zack was about to draw his sword when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Turning his head, he saw another sergeant running up from the path he had just come from. The man stopped behind Zack, the point of his weapon jabbing into his back.

"You'll pay for what you did to my men!" the soldier snapped. "I'll make sure you never leave this place alive!"

Another movement came from his left. Zack turned to find a third sergeant running up from the direction of the entrance.

"He's no match for three Wutai sergeants!" this third sergeant announced with brash confidence. "Let's take him out! We'll show you the true power of Wutai!"

They charged. Despite all their brashness and shows of confidence, the sergeants were not very strong. It took less than a minute for Zack to finish them off, and though he hated to kill needlessly, he finished them off so they could not call any further reinforcements. Then, after taking a moment to clean his sword with a cloth he had taken from one of the soldiers, he hurried back into the maze.

When he reached the second tower—the one he had already taken down—he ran straight past it and carried on going. He had just turned a corner and was about to head down a long corridor when he skidded to a stop. At the other end of the path was another group of soldiers.

The sergeant in charge of the group stepped forward. "We have to make our stand here!" he shouted. He raised his hand, and the privates in turn lifted their rifles. "Ready!" the sergeant commanded. "Aim! Fire!"

On his command, the soldiers opened fire. As the bullets came whizzing past him, Zack dived back behind the wall. Over the sound of the gunfire he could hear the sergeant's triumphant laugh.

"End of the line, SOLDIER!" he called out. "Reinforcements are coming! You can't escape!" He laughed again, and the rain of gunfire increased.

The soldiers' gunfire was persistent. He guessed these were the soldiers who had ambushed him that first time and then retreated. Retreated back here, it seemed, to cut him off if he got this far. Zack let out a curse. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he just waited like this. He was going to have to find another way through.

Turning his back on the corridor, he headed back into the maze. There had to be some other way for him to get through. Yet he could not remember seeing any other turn-offs, and those he did find led only to dead ends.

After a few minutes of hopeless searching, Zack came to a stop. It was hopeless. There were no other paths to take. Each one would take him back to the entrance, and he did not want to go back _there._ The swordsman leaned against a wall and folded his arms, trying to think. It seemed his only option would be to go back to storm those soldiers and hope he could get through before they riddled him with bullets. Zack was very confident in his skills, but even he felt a bit daunted at running straight into oncoming fire. If only he could ambush them somehow.

Just as he was thinking this, a faint sound caught his attention. Zack raised his head and looked around him. "Hm?" he said. "I hear voices…"

He turned around to face the wall. The voices were coming from the other side. Zack pressed his ear to the wall, listening hard.

"In the name of Wutai, we must half the enemy advance here."

"Sir!"

Zack jumped. That voice… It was the voice of the sergeant in charge of those soldiers blocking his path. The swordsman stepped away from the wall and looked up at it. _So this wall runs between me and them,_ he realised. _Perhaps I could climb over it and ambush them from above?_

He soon dismissed the idea. The wall was too high for him to climb, and although he was a good jumper he was not sure he could reach the top, much less climb up and over without being heard. Disheartened, Zack started to turn away. Then his eyes caught sight of something near the top of the wall.

He turned back. There, just in the groove at the top of the wall, there was a gap. It was only a slight gap, but it was there nonetheless. Between the cracks, Zack could see the flicker of firelight, and the shadow of a pole. Zack's mouth twitched up into a grin. This wall was not a wall at all, but a revolving one! He could not believe his luck. With this, he could ambush the soldiers before they could even realise he was there. After all, he was not supposed to know how the walls worked, right?

The swordsman rubbed his hands together, placed his palms against the wall, and began to push.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, the Wutai sergeant was pacing. He rambled off what he hoped was a motivational speech, trying inspire his two privates. The soldiers were stood behind him at a stiff attention, their arms pressed against their sides, their heads not moving as they watched their commander pace in front of them.

"Fort Tamblin will not fall to a paltry force like SOLDIER!" the sergeant told them. Turning his back on his soldiers, he looked around at the now-empty corridor. "The enemy could be lurking anywhere," he whispered.

Behind him, one of the privates rolled his eyes, as though he had heard all of this before. His eyes then turned to the wall as it suddenly swung open and Zack came running into the corridor. The private and his companion jumped in surprise and looked over at their commander, who had not noticed and continued to pace, his back to them.

"Keep your eyes open," the sergeant was saying. "SOLDIER was formidable foe."

The privates looked at one another, wondering what they should do. Then, drawing their weapons, they charged at Zack. Without hesitation Zack drew his own sword and met them head on. Their blades clashed and scraped as they fought, but even then the sergeant, too lost in his own monologue, failed to notice the battle going on behind him.

"But to protect our homeland," the sergeant rambled on, "we must stand against our enemies, no matter how powerful they may be. Even if it means our lives. Retreat is not in the Wutai dictionary." He paused then, expecting some word or some kind of acknowledgement from his troops. When he got no response from them, he finally turned around. "Huh!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening.

His soldiers were lying on the floor, their bodies beaten and bloodied. Zack stood over them, firelight glinting over his sword as he spun it and then sheathed it behind him. He turned, and his eyes met the sergeant's gaze. One look into those eyes, with their faint, bluish glow, and all the inspirational words that he had been preaching left the sergeant's mind in an instant.

"Retreat!" he said instead, although there was no one else around to hear it. "Retreating is a part of military strategy!"

With that announcement, the sergeant turned and ran away. A bottle slipped out of his pocket as he ran and clattered onto the ground. Zack picked it up. It was a Potion. Wutai Potions were very different to Shinra-issue ones, but the effects were still the same. Besides, it never hurt to have too many Potions on the battlefield.

Pocketing his prize, Zack was about to run in chase of the fleeing sergeant when the revolving wall beside him swung open again.

On the other side, three Foulanders were running towards him. This time Zack wasted no time and used his materia, sending three balls of flame shooting through the wall towards the monsters. He then kicked the door shut, sealing the monsters off on the other side. A shuddering explosion, followed by a series of pain-filled roars, signalled the end of the monsters. Zack waited a moment to make sure the door was not going to swing open again and then headed on.

At long last Zack reached the end of the maze. The door leading into the central area was just ahead. It appeared to be unguarded, but as Zack approached the doors opened and three more Foulanders came running out to meet him. Zack defeated the three monsters in just a few moments. As their bodies dissolved around him, Zack heard his phone begin to ring.

"Well done, Zack," the director said when Zack answered. "We have successfully occupied Fort Tamblin." There was a pause before Lazard added: "I was really only expecting you to get their attention. Most impressive, I must say. I'm very pleased with the results thus far. Proceed to the next objective."

He hung up. Zack stared at his phone in open-mouthed astonishment. He then clenched it tightly in his hand, excitement swelling within him. Director Lazard was impressed. He had done it! Becoming 1st was as good as done!

Resisting the urge to call Angeal or jump about in excitement, Zack tried to compose himself. The job was far from over, and there was always a chance that Lazard could change his mind if he didn't complete all his tasks satisfactorily. The swordsman turned to the open doors leading into the central area. He clenched his fist and then strolled on through to the next area.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

Sorry it's taken a few weeks to finish this chapter. After the Bank Holiday I got back into my reading and then when that passed I was left with writer's block. It seems to be lifting so hopefully I'll be able to update more now.


	5. Part 01: Chapter 04

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

******Chapter Four**

The double doors closed with a loud creak. Zack put his hand on his hips and looked around at the central area of Fort Tamblin.

It was a lot bigger than it had looked from the entrance. The courtyard was wide and spanned the full width of the fort. Directly ahead of him was an enormous three-tiered building atop a wide set of stairs. On either side of the stairs stood a tall statue of a fierce Wutai Warrior, clad in armour with a sun-shaped shield across their backs. Each statue also wielded a large stone blade that they held high over their heads. Their lifeless gazes were fixed on the courtyard, as though waiting for some unsuspecting enemy to approach. Zack could also hear running water, though he could not see the source. He looked at the statues and then settled his gaze on the building ahead.

"Ah! That must be the central area!" he said.

He cast a quick glance around him. The courtyard appeared empty and deserted. The building also showed no signs of life, though lights on the second and third tiers indicated that there were at least some people around. Yet Zack found himself feeling that he was being watched from somewhere, although he could see no one. Knowing that it was better to trust his instincts than ignore them, he gripped the hilt of his sword and headed down into the courtyard.

A thin layer of gravel was spread over the ground. His boots crunched noisily on the gravel and Zack winced with each step, knowing that he had no chance of making a silent approach now. Each step also sent a cloud of dust to rise around him. The dust entered his throat, causing him to cough.

When he reached the middle of the courtyard Zack stopped and looked to his right. Here was the source of the running water: a small fountain built up against the wall. A statue of a serpent stood over the fountain, with water spilling out of its gills to pool at the bottom. A stone tablet was erected in front of the fountain, bearing the serpent's image and along with faded text. Curious, Zack went over to examine it.

"What's this?" he wondered, folding his arms.

"That is Wutai's guardian deity, Leviathan."

Zack spun around and looked up. A Wutai soldier was standing atop the stairs in front of the main building. He was joined by two other soldiers, who each stood on top of the warrior statues on either side. At first Zack thought they were ordinary soldiers, but then noticed that they were not. Their armour was silver, and they carried spears with crescent-shaped blades that glinted in the moonlight and firelight. The way they carried themselves was also different from the other soldiers. They were calmer and more confident and, Zack could guess, more skilled.

The one who spoke—whom Zack presumed to be the leader—jumped down from the stairs. His companions did the same. They landed together and surrounded Zack, though they made no move to raise their weapons. Zack relaxed his grip on his sword.

The leader stepped forward. "We are the Crescent," he introduced, "the Wutai army's elite unit. We appease the wrath of Leviathan, and smite the enemies of Wutai. Our beloved homeland has been brutally ravaged by Shinra."

Zack frowned, confused. "I heard that if we could process mako here, it would help people lead better lives." He pointed at the captain and his men. "But then you attacked us without even hearing us out!"

The Crescent Unit Captain shared a look with his companions. Their faces were grim and impassive. Nodding in acknowledgement to their unspoken words, the captain returned his attention to Zack. "What do you know of the pain we have suffered?" he demanded, his tone accusing. "Shinra have continually brought fear and oppression to the innocent people of Wutai!"

Zack opened his mouth to reply, but then stopped and closed it again.

The captain, however, continued. "I would like to ask you one last thing," he said. "Are you satisfied in using your immense power to serve an evil organisation like Shinra? Does it bring you joy to torture innocent people?"

Zack lowered his head. "That's not what I…"

"If there is any remorse in your heart, then atone for your actions by joining our cause!" The captain then stepped closer and extended his hand to Zack, who remained silent. "Of course, we cannot pay you much," he added, "but you can use your power in the name of justice!"

There was a moment's silence. Zack let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. What the captain said made sense. Using power and might to oppress the innocent was wrong. But that was not what Shinra was doing. And who decided which was right and which was wrong? The answer was not always as clear as people liked to think. Shinra had its share of critics and it pushed hard to achieve its goals, but were those goals really 'evil'? The Wutai considered themselves to be the innocents, fighting for the sake of their homeland. Yet it was they who had begun the bloodshed and turned this into a war. If they felt that they were being oppressed by Shinra, did that justify their actions? Zack was not sure.

"Justice…?" he repeated. "Is that really the case?" He raised his eyes and met the captain's gaze. "Is it so terrible to provide mako to people and make their lives better? I don't know… But I chose to serve Shinra. Whatever happens, I have to stand by that decision."

He drew his sword and held it ready, giving strength to his words. The Crescent Unit Captain looked back at him. It was hard to read his expression beneath his helmet and the mask that covered the lower half of his face, but Zack thought he saw pain in his eyes. That pain swiftly turned to anger as his eyes narrowed, and his fingers clenched the shaft of his spear.

"I was foolish to think I could reason with villains," he spat. "For those of us born and raised in Wutai, losing our land is the same as losing our lives. Hence, I must eliminate you, as my duty to the land." Grasping his spear with both hands, he thrust the crescent-tipped blade forward. It stopped a few inches from Zack's sword. His companions did the same, adding their own weapons to his. "You will now witness the wrath of Wutai!" the captain shouted.

Together, as one, the soldiers thrust their weapons forward. Their spears hit nothing but air as Zack leapt out of the way. Landing on the wall surrounding the fountain, he then jumped into the air. The soldiers' eyes followed him as he soared up and raised his sword. A quick signal from the captain was all that was needed to make all three members of the Crescent Unit pull back. They retreated to a safe distance and turned back to face their enemy.

The captain signalled to the soldier at his right. At his command the soldier hefted his spear and charged forward. Zack made to block the spear as it lunged towards him, but the soldier quickly changed tactics and swung the spear instead. The blade slashed across the swordsman's arm, drawing blood.

The soldier began to strike at Zack with a series of thrusts and swipes, swinging his spear in rapid movements. Zack was forced onto the defensive, using his sword to parry the blows as they came. The spear struck as heavy as a club, and each blow sent a jarring pain through his arms. His first impression about the Crescent Unit was right, after all: they were different from the regular soldiers.

Another feinted blow caught Zack off-guard. When he moved his sword to block the spear, the soldier withdrew his weapon and swung it over hid head. Zack only just responded to the change in time. The spear slammed against his sword and stopped just inches from his head. The impact almost forced Zack to his knees. He held his ground, keeping the spear at bay.

"You… you guys are good," he remarked with some approval.

He then stopped as he saw a smile beneath the soldier's mask. Catching a reflection of movement in his helmet, Zack pushed both spear and soldier out of the way and then turned, raising his sword to block the spear that was being thrust at him from behind. The blade lodged in the gap between the spear's blade and pole, stopping it in his tracks.

The other soldier's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed. He pushed on his weapon, trying to force it forward. Zack started to sweat as he pushed back. Suddenly he lifted his sword, forcing the spear upwards as well. As the weapons parted, Zack swung his weapon in another upward arc and hooked his weapon underneath the spear's crescent-shaped blade. A yank pulled the weapon out of his opponent's hands and sent it flying through the air. The soldier was momentarily awestruck by the loss of his weapon. A bright glow brought his attention back to Zack as a fireball came sweeping towards him. The soldier raised his hands, but the blast broke through his defences. He went flying back across the courtyard, hit the ground, and did not get up again.

Hearing the rush of wind behind him, Zack instinctively tilted his head to the side. The point of a spear slid past his face, only just missing his skin. Turning, Zack swung his sword. It clashed against the other soldier's spear, forcing it aside. Zack grunted and then lunged, but the soldier twisted out of the way. As Zack passed the soldier struck him on the back of the head with his fist. The swordsman fell to the floor, dazed.

A shadow fell over him. Without looking back, Zack rolled out of the way. Where he had lain, two sharp points stabbed into the dirt and churned up the gravel. Zack got to his feet, but before he could recover the soldier rammed the butt of his spear into his chest. Zack dropped his sword as the blow forced the air from his lungs. He was shoved back against the wall, gasping for breath.

Zack raised his head to meet the soldier's gaze. The eyes were barely visible beneath the shadow of his helmet, but Zack could see that they were filled with hate. Reading his movements from the way his hands suddenly clenched, Zack pushed himself away from the wall and threw himself at the soldier. The sudden movement caused the soldier to falter and lose his grip on his weapon. He tried to back away, but Zack grabbed hold of him and then punched him hard across the face. This blow staggered his opponent, and Zack took advantage of this as he spun the soldier around and threw him against the wall. His head slammed hard against the wall, his helmet echoing a dull ring. The soldier took a shaky step and then slumped to the floor.

"Hah! Oh yeah!" said Zack, clenching a fist.

He heard a _clink_ behind him. The smile left Zack's face as he turned around. His sword skidded across the ground. Zack stopped it with his foot and then looked up at the unit captain. The soldier's face was grim as he stepped forward. He stopped, raised his spear and held it above him. He gestured to Zack, ready for battle.

Bending down, Zack picked up his sword. He ran his glove across the blade, wiping away dust from the gravelly ground. "A fair fight, huh?" he asked, and he looked at the captain with a grudging respect. The swordsman spun the blade in his hand and then gripped it, holding it ready. "Bring it on, then!" he said, lifting his voice.

The captain needed no invitation. Shouting a Wutai battle cry, he ran at Zack. The swordsman returned the motion, running to meet him. At the last moment they stopped, drew back their weapons and then lunged, aiming to strike the other.

Their weapons clashed in the moonlight. Sparks flew from the blades as they connected, falling in a way that reminded Zack of the kunai and shurikens that the Wutai were noted for wielding in battle. With great effort, he pushed the captain back. The two circled one another and then lunged to strike again.

The two continued this way for several minutes. Zack knew what the captain was doing. He was testing Zack's strength, getting a feel for how he moved and how he struck, trying figure out his weak spots. Zack tried to make it harder for him by continuously switching tactics, attacking one way and then another, never letting the captain break through his guard. It was more difficult than it seemed, for the captain was very skilled and very fast. It was all Zack could do to keep up with him. Nor could he break through his opponent's guard, and his blows kept missing.

By chance an opening presented itself as the captain swept into a low thrust, went too low, and slipped on the gravel. Zack took the moment at once and ran in close. Bringing up his knee, he slammed it into the captain's chest.

The air forced out of his lungs, the captain keeled over. Zack then struck him on the back of the head with the pommel of his sword, bringing the captain to his knees.

Not willing to give in, the captain forced himself to his feet. He turned, swinging his spear in a large arc to skewer Zack before he could strike again. But Zack had already moved back out of the way. A glow surrounded the swordsman's hand, and before the captain could realise what was going on a burst of fire erupted from beneath him. It lifted him up off the floor and carried him through the air. He landed against the stone tablet before the Leviathan fountain. The impact caused it crack, forever marring the engraved writing.

The captain slumped onto the ground. Grasping his spear, he forced himself onto his feet. His helmet slanted, revealing eyes full of hate. He made one last attempt to charge, but he could not even make it two steps before his legs gave way. He fell face down onto the ground, his spear clattering down beside him. His last effort was to roll onto his back. His chest heaved as he breathed hard, his body aching. He scowled up at Zack, who stood over him with his sword in hand. Rather than plead or beg for his life, the captain closed his eyes and waited for the killing blow.

Except it never came. When he realised that he was not going to die, the captain reopened his eyes and looked up at Zack, his face a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Why do you not finish me?" he demanded, his voice rasping.

Zack paused. He looked at his sword and shrugged. "I don't know," he confessed, sheathing the blade. "Not in the mood, I guess."

The captain scowled, angered by this show of pity. He tried to stand, to grasp his weapon and run his enemy through in the name of Wutai. But his fingers could not find the strength. His body was singed by the flames; every movement was agony. In the end he gave up. He glared up at Zack, his teeth grinding in his jaw.

"As long as we breathe," he swore with complete sincerity, "we will continue to target Shinra. I promise… one day, I will have your head."

Zack said nothing. He turned his back on the captain. He began to walk away, when he stopped and looked back. "Fine," he answered at last. "I'll be waiting."

With that the swordsman walked away, leaving the Crescent Unit behind. The captain gave one last groan before the pain of his injuries overcame him and he passed out on the ground. Zack heard him but did not look back. That was how it went in war: there were victors and there were losers. Both were to be treated with respect and dignity. The captain did not want his pity. If he wanted to make a vow to 'have his head', as it were, then that was his choice.

Zack crossed the courtyard. As he walked he discovered that the strange feeling he had had since entering the central area—the feeling that he was being watched—still had not gone away. He had thought that defeating the Crescent Unit would have eliminated that feeling, but apparently it had not.

He slowed his pace until he came to a stop at the foot of the steps. Putting his hands on his hips, he looked around. Aside from the unconscious soldiers, there was no one else in sight. The swordsman scratched his head. _Maybe… I'm just paranoid?_ he wondered.

His gaze fell on the warrior statues. Their faces were impassive and unchanging, but Zack could not help but feel that they were watching him. Again Zack felt that they were like guardians just daring him to approach so they could judge him. If he failed, then they would throw down their blades and skewer him where he stood. The swordsman sniggered. _I am getting paranoid,_ he concluded.

Pushing the thought from his mind, he began to approach the stairs. Despite himself, he could not help but glance at the statues as he passed. As he expected, they made no movements. He sighed and was about to take his first step up the stairs when a shrill voice pierced the silence.

"One, avoid unnecessary training!"

At the sound of the voice, Zack stopped and looked around. His hand reached for the hilt of his sword, but he hesitated. The voice sounded high and youthful. _That's a girl's voice,_ he realised. The swordsman put his hands on his hips. Were there any female ninjas in the Wutai army?

"Two," the voice continued. "Protect Wutai at all costs!

"Three," the voice added finally, pausing for effect. "Ugly Shinra dudes… must be PUNISHED!"

A rustle came from above, and a figure dropped down onto the stairs. Zack looked up and then jumped as he saw, to his surprise, a girl.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The girl grinned and put her fists on her hips. She puffed out her chest, standing tall and proud before him as she said: "I'm Wutai's greatest warrior! If you wanna go further, you have to go through me!"

Zack squinted at her. She looked a little small to be a great warrior. At first glance he could have mistaken her for a boy, for the black hair that framed her face was cut short. The way she was dressed did not help, for she wore a hooded, yellow-trimmed green robe and rather short white shorts. But the voice was definitely feminine, as were her eyes. Right now those eyes were narrowed she did her best to appear fierce and powerful, like a warrior. Zack frowned. Did she call him 'ugly'?

"A kid…?" said Zack, realising that this girl was indeed a child, no older than ten at the most. The swordsman folded his arms and put on his most serious adult expression. "You shouldn't be playing here," he scolded her. "It's dangerous! Go home to your parents."

But the girl did not leave and instead jumped into the air. Zack stared in amazement as she landed on the arm of one of the statues and then leapt down into the courtyard. She faced Zack and raised her fists, her dark eyes flashing.

"You're the one who's going home!" she told him, and Zack had no doubt that she was being serious. "If you insist on going further, you'll have a fight on your hands!"

Zack scratched his head. "Oh, man… What am I supposed to do here?" he asked himself.

With a cry, the girl darted forward. Instinctively Zack made to draw his sword, but then reminded himself that she was just a child. Whether she intended to fight him or kill him, he just could not bring himself to kill a _child._

As it turned out, he did not need to. The girl stopped a couple of feet in front of him and began to punch out with her fists. Zack flinched but then relaxed as he saw that her punches did not strike him, but rather hit the air in front of him. The swordsman stared in bewilderment as the girl began to deliver flurry after flurry of fearsome punches and swipes, her face scrunched up in complete determination, and Zack knew that she was feeling every punch she gave as if it was landing.

"Whap! Pow! Bam!" she shouted, and Zack was more amazed when he saw sweat run down her face. "Take that, bad guy!"

At first, Zack did not know what to do. She was convinced that she was hitting him, even though it was obvious that her punches came nowhere near. Should he try to stop her, or should he just humour her and see what happened? Deciding that the latter option was better, he waited until she had delivered the last punch in her current flurry and then keeled over, clutching his stomach.

"Arrrgh! Nooo!" he wailed. He fell to his knees, hoping he looked as though he was in great pain. "You got me!"

The girl lowered her fists. She put her hands on her hips, smiling in satisfaction.

"There!" she declared, and her voice was full of pride. "That'll teach you to mess with me! Once again, I've brought peace to Wutai!"

With that, she turned and ran off across the courtyard, disappearing down one of the pathways. Zack waited until he was sure she was gone before getting back to his feet.

"Boy oh boy…" he remarked, patting his 'injured' stomach. "You gotta admire that energy…" He shook his head and then turned back to the main building now unguarded behind him. "Well, back to work, I guess…"


	6. Part 01: Chapter 05

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

******Chapter Five**

The first thing Zack noticed about the inside of the building was that it was empty. The lights that Zack had seen from outside came only from empty rooms, their occupants gone. It seemed they had left in a hurry, for Zack found cooking pots still bubbling away on stoves, card scattered across tables, and cushions and throws thrown in a haphazard fashion over the room. Zack also found evidence of children being here in the form of toys and childish scribbles. That explained why that young girl he had encountered outside had been here, yet obviously the soldiers had not kept a good enough eye on her to prevent her from slipping away.

After making a quick check of the upper tiers, Zack returned to the ground floor and headed for the area at the heart of the building. Zack guessed this was where the soldiers stationed here did their training, for he saw damage to the walls where trainees had grown too enthusiastic.

Now, though, the arena was empty. Zack made his way towards the centre, where a large symbol was painted on the ground. His footsteps echoed with each step that he took, the sounds amplified as they bounced off the walls. When he reached the middle Zack stopped and laid a hand on his hip, wondering what he should do next.

He was just thinking this over when he heard a rumbling noise from overhead. A second later, sand fell from the ceiling. At once Zack leapt back before looking up towards the domed ceiling, where a large hatch was opening. A monster dropped down through the hole, landing on the arena floor with a heavy thud.

The monster was called Vajradhara Wu, or just 'Wu' for short. It was yet another monster that the Wutai had trained to defend their fort, but unlike the Foulanders this one was not completely tame. The monster was large and bulky, with an enormous torso and equally large shoulders, with bulging arm muscles and powerful hands. It was a walking behemoth of ferocious physical power. Its legs were short in contrast to the rest of its body, though the bulk of its upper torso more than made up for it. The monster was not bright but very bad-tempered, and it had learnt to wield weapons almost as well as any human. This one carried an axe whose blade was as long as Zack was tall. The Wutai had plated its shoulders, arms and chest in armour, protecting it from attacks.

Just as Zack was recovering from the shock of its arrival, a second monster dropped out of the hatch and landed behind it. This one was Vajradhara Tai. It was identical to Wu in every way except for its armour, which was painted green where Wu's was red. Tai also carried a double-edged mace, the blades polished to such a sheen that the monster's wide, grinning face was reflected in it.

After landing, both monsters stretched up to their full height and roared. They turned to face Zack, who stood a few feet away. He was small and meagre in comparison, but Zack was not daunted. After all, he was SOLDIER. And no member of SOLDIER went into battle expecting to lose. He drew his sword, a smile on his face.

"You must be the anti-SOLDIER monsters I've been hearing about," he remarked.

Wu roared in reply and lifted his axe. He threw it at Zack, who dived out of the way. The weapon hit the far wall and was buried up to the hilt. The impact caused cracks to form in the wall, spreading more than a metre before coming to a stop. Zack got to his feet and watched as Wu stomped over to his axe and, without any effort at all, yanked it out of the wall. He turned to Zack, his face split into a wide grin.

"Well," said Zack. "That wasn't very polite, was it?"

A shadow fell over him. Zack turned in time to see Tai raise his mace and swing it with all his strength. Zack jumped out of its reach, and he could feel the rush of air pass as the weapon swept beneath his feet. He landed on the monster's shoulders and dropped down behind, turning and slashing his sword across Tai's back. The monster roared in pain and staggered forward. His hand clawed at his back, where Zack's sword had cut a long, bloody line.

"So that's how it is?" Zack guessed, looking at the blood on his blade. "You two are not totally invincible." He smirked and raised his sword. "All right, then! Let's get this over with, shall we?"

He ran forward, heading towards the already wounded Tai. He jumped to strike him down, but Wu ran in front and punched with his fist. The blow hit Zack hard, sending him flying back across the room. He hit one of the pillars and fell onto the floor. He looked up as Wu stomped towards him. His axe flashed in the air, forcing Zack to roll out of the way as it slammed into the pillar. The rock cracked and crumbled but the pillar held.

Wu pulled out his weapon and turned just as Zack jumped towards him. His sword hit the monster's shoulder, scraping against the metal. The blade cut through the armour but no deeper. Another backhanded blow sent him crashing onto the floor, and Zack was forced to roll again as the axe once more flew towards him.

Vajradhara Tai had recovered now and was back on his feet. He leapt onto Wu's arm and was thrown across the arena. The swordsman dove aside just in time as the monster smashed his mace onto the floor. The blow landed with such force that the ground cracked and splintered, leaving a deep dent. Tai roared and smashed the weapon on the ground in rage, causing even more damage.

The materia Zack carried flashed as flames burst out of his hand, striking Tai's exposed back. The monster gave a roar of pain as hot flames seared his back. He dropped his mace as the stream pushed him forward until he crashed against the wall. He stepped back, staggered, and dropped onto the ground.

Zack turned just in time to see Vajradhara Wu retrieve his axe and start running towards him. The swordsman started to retreat when the sole of his boot slipped against a chunk of broken rock. He lost his balance and fell on his back.

At once Vajradhara Wu jumped, his axe raised over his head. Zack tried to scrabble away but then, seeing he would not be able to escape in time, rolled over instead. The axe's sharp blade slashed into the floor. It sank almost fully and then stopped.

Zack rolled onto his belly. He breathed and a cloud of dust from the impact flew into his throat. He coughed, covering his mouth to prevent him from breathing in any more. He looked back over his shoulder as Wu grinned and drew back his fist. Fighting against his tightened throat, Zack jumped up and dove out of the way. A second later Wu's fist smashed into the ground, and Wu roared in outrage.

Snatching up his sword, Zack turned back to his opponent. Wu was snarling and smashing his fist on the ground, as though trying to take out his rage on the floor instead. When he was done he lifted his head and glared at Zack, saliva dripping from between his yellowed teeth.

Zack returned the glare and raised his sword. With a battle cry he ran straight at the monster, who retaliated by yanking his axe from the ground and swinging it. Zack was prepared for the slash this time and leapt over it. He landed on the monster's arm. Before the monster could figure out what was happening, he grabbed hold of the pale red bangs dangling on either side of his face and then jumped up onto his head. He straddled the back of the monster's neck, which was as wide as a horse. Holding the hair in his hands like reins, he pulled.

Wu flinched in pain and drew back. Zack kept hold of his fashioned reins as the monster swung his body back and forth, trying to throw off his unwelcome rider. The swordsman gripped with his legs and grasped hold of the single horn curving out of the monster's head. With his other hand he tugged on the hair, trying to force Wu to turn around. But the monster resisted his rider's instructions and even tried to swing a fist at Zack, but his enormous muscles made it difficult for his hands to reach him.

By this point, Vajradhara Tai was back on his feet again. When he saw his companion being led by the reins by the human he snarled, baring his large, flat teeth. Picking up his mace, he stormed towards them.

Meanwhile, Wu continued to thrash, trying to throw Zack from his back. Zack lost his grip on the horn and swung in the opposite direction. His sudden movement caused him to yank on the reins of hair, and thus forcing Vajradhara Wu to turn also, roaring in pain. His axe swung as he turned, and there came a yelp of surprise and pain as the blade slashed across Tai's torso. The blow caused him to stop in mid-charge. His mace dropped to the ground, though his hand remained suspended in mid-air.

Tai looked down at his chest. Blood oozed from a thin but deep gash where the axe had sliced through his armour and flesh. The wound spread almost up to his neck, narrowly missing vital veins. Tai gave an anguished moan and staggered back. His chunky fingers clawed at the wound. The sound of his moans echoed chillingly throughout the arena as he thrashed in pain: a wounded animal.

Also frozen by the realisation of what he had done, Wu snapped out of his trance and swung his head, though there was little need. Zack had already gone, jumping clear and landing on the other side of the arena. Wu ignored him as he stomped over towards his companion. Zack watched as the monster leaned over the other, growling in a guttural tongue.

Zack got to his feet. Though he could not understand the words he was hearing, he guessed it was some kind of apology. "What," he asked in an amused voice, "you upset because you hurt your friend or something?"

The monsters ignored him. Wu reached out to Tai, who responded by punching his partner in the face. Wu flinched and rubbed his cheek as his partner bent down to pick up his mace. Then the pair turned their attention back towards Zack.

"Oh, so you've finished now?" the swordsman said as he raised his sword into a battle position. "Good. I was starting to get board. Bring it on!"

Tai snarled something at Wu. Both monsters then grinned and lifted their weapons.

The smile vanished from Zack's face. "Uh oh…"

Together the monsters threw their weapons. At once Zack reacted and leapt into the air. The weapons passed by underneath him. The blades collided, sending both weapons careening off in different directions. The axe spun and then struck in the far wall, becoming embedded deep into the rock. On the other hand, the mace swung and then slammed into one of the nearby pillars. The collision caused several cracks to form in the pillar's surface, rising from the impact site and up towards the halfway mark. Some chunks of rock fell free, falling to the ground.

Still working together, the two monsters charged. Wu was faster than Tai and dove at Zack. His fist was a blur as he punched out, but Zack moved faster as he ducked out of the way, darted forward and then struck back with his sword. The blade caught on the monster's leg, causing it to crumple and gave way. Before Wu could fathom what was happening, he had dropped down to the floor.

Leaping over his fallen partner, Vajradhara Tai began to use a similar method. He unleashed a flurry of fast-moving punches and swings at the swordsman. Zack was forced to retreat, twisting and turning out of the way as each blow swung perilously close to striking home.

One blow struck him hard. It sent Zack flying across the arena. He crashed into one of the pillars, the same one that Tai's mace had hit. Dust and rubble tumbled from the impact site and fell over Zack, causing him to cough again. He looked up at the pillar, noting how it trembled. He looked at the pillar and then over at Tai, who was stomping towards him. The smile returned to Zack's face, and he waited for the coming blow.

Tai stopped a few feet in front of him. He drew back his fist and, still grinning in lustful excitement, brought it down hard.

At the last moment, Zack rolled out of the way. The fist struck the pillar and made it tremble. More cracks formed, spreading rapidly through the structure. They joined with the other cracks and then spread all the way up to the pillar's peak. There was a moment's pause, and then the pillar shattered.

Clouds of dust and rumble fell down into the arena. Vajradhara Tai looked up in alarm as enormous chunks of rock blasted free and began to descend towards him. His slow brain processed too late what was happening and by the time he did figure it out he had no chance of escape. The smaller rocks hit him first and he raised his hands over his head to shield himself. The larger rocks hit him then, smashing through his guard and crushing him against the floor. The rest of the pillar soon followed, burying him beneath their weight.

Zack rolled until he was clear of the impact site. He got back onto his feet and turned back. Where Vajradhara Tai once stood was now a mound of rubble. The monster was almost completely buried. Almost, for all that was visible was a single arm poking out from beneath. Bloodied fingers twitched and clawed at the dirt. Fingers that soon stopped twitching and lay completely still.

Hearing a roar behind him, Zack started to turn. Something smashed hard against him and he was thrown back against the wall as Wu forced his way past and hurried over to the mound. He roared again, snarling in that guttural tongue. When he got no reply from the mound, Wu grabbed his head and stomped his feet.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Zack said. He stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "Your friend kinda got buried under his work, you know."

But Wu did not appreciate the joke. He stomped his feet some more, tugging on his hair and roaring in a rage. Then his cries ceased, and his feet stopped pounding the ground. His head snapped around, sending saliva flying from his open mouth. He growled, his tiny eyes narrowing into slits.

Zack scratched his head. "Uh, you didn't appreciate that one, huh?"

In response, Wu charged right at him. Zack started to raise his sword to defend himself, but Wu knocked the weapon out of his hands with a single swipe. Like Tai, Wu unleashed a relentless barrage of punches and Zack, also like before, was forced to retreat. It took all of his skill to keep out of reach of those fists. Each one was swinging closer and closer and Zack knew he could not keep it up for long.

He thought back to his training sessions with Angeal in the Training Room. Angeal was determined that Zack knew not only how to attack effectively, but also how to defend himself as well. At first Zack had shrugged it off, claiming he already knew. Two minutes in a battle with Angeal however, made him change his mind.

"_It's not just about blocking,"_ the 1st Class SOLDIER had told him. _"If your opponent is much stronger than you are, then they will always break through your guard no matter how well you block."_

"_So what do you do?"_ Zack had asked.

At this Angeal had smiled his knowing smile. _"Keep dodging and weaving. Do not give them an easy target. If your opponent is attacking relentlessly, and with force, make them expend their energy by keeping out of their reach. Sooner or later they'll tire or falter and that will be your moment."_

"_My moment to… what?"_

"_Your moment to strike back."_

_That's easier said than done,_ Zack thought to himself as he dodged yet another blow from Wu's fists. His opponent was not human, with inhuman strength and stamina. He did not seem to be tiring at all. Zack, on the other hand, was.

He was so distracted with his thoughts he forgot to look behind him. His back hit one of the pillars and he stopped. Cursing, Zack ducked as Wu's fist smashed into the pillar, blasting a great chunk out of it. The pillar shook but held. Zack dove aside and then ran. Wu gave chase, smashing his fist into yet another pillar as he followed.

"You want to bring the whole place down on us or something!" Zack shouted over his shoulder. Wu responded only by smashing his way past another pillar.

He must have struck that pillar harder than the others, for the monster faltered and came to a stop. The monster rotated his arm, his armour clacking.

This temporary reprieve gave Zack just enough time to reach his sword. He snatched it up and turned back to his opponent, who had recovered now and was continuing his charge. He jumped back as Wu brought his fist down onto the ground, cracking the already broken floor. But the speed he was running, combined with the sudden impact, caused Wu to lose his balance. He fell facedown onto the floor.

Seeing that his moment had come, Zack raised his sword. Drawing all of the power from his _Fire _materia, he channelled it into his blade. Flames swept across it, causing the metal to heat up and glow. He ran at Wu, who was just standing up. He slashed his sword across the monster's torso. The blade sliced through the bangs of hair, now singed black from the flames. The armour straps snapped and the metal crumpled with the heat.

The monster roared as the blade struck. The flames dug deeper than the blade could reach, filling him with a searing pain. He stepped back and threw back his head, roaring in pain.

A second slash struck him. Vajradhara Wu was thrown back against the wall. Zack drew back his fist, called the remaining power of his materia to his hand, and then discharged the magic in one powerful blast at his opponent.

The flames hit. Vajradhara Wu let out a terrifying squeal of pain. The flames spread rapidly, moving over his body and smothering him in a burning cloak. The monster stepped away from the wall. His large arms swung all over as he tried to bat out the flames, yet his efforts only served to fan and strengthen them. The ground shook as he stomped his feet, and he turned away from Zack. In that moment Zack delivered his final blow: a single slash right across his back. The monster shrieked and fell down onto the ground. He gave one last roar before his voice succumbed to the flames, and made no more sounds.

Zack watched as his opponent's body began to wither and dissolve. The flames tinged a deep crimson as they consumed him, returning his body to the Planet from which he was created.

When the flames died out, nothing but a pile of dust remained. Zack knelt beside it, panting hard. He had to hand it to the Wutai: they knew how to pick his opponents. Wiping his hand across his brow, he was not surprised to find that it came away damp. _I broke a sweat with that one,_ he realised, though not with some triumph. Not even anti-SOLDIER monsters could stand up to him.

Standing up again, he sheathed his sword. He was just about to exit the arena when his phone began to buzz. He flipped it open. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, victorious once again!" he greeted.

"Good work," said Angeal, not without an ounce of surprise. "Now, get out of there quickly. There's only five minutes until detonation."

"Understood!" replied Zack, and he hung up. He looked around at the arena one last time. "Director Lazard," he called out, "are you watching!"

He got no reply. Wherever the director was hiding to observe the operation, he was keeping it secret. Zack, still grinning, wiped the dirt and sweat from his face. "Gotta move!" he said.

He ran towards the door. Catching sight of movement coming from overhead, he dived out of the way as another monster dropped through the hatch and into the arena. It was another of the Vajradhara monsters. This one, however, was larger and darker than its companions. Its weapon was an enormous plated ball attached to a thick chain, which it wielded with ease.

Zack got back onto his feet, cursing under his breath. "No time to play!" he snapped.

He made to draw his sword, but the monster struck first. He swung his weapon and brought the ball crashing onto the ground. Zack only just dodged it in time, flipping back out of reach. Drawing his sword, he charged and then leapt at the monster. He shouted out a battle cry as he descended and brought the blade down hard across the monster.

That blow was all it took to bring the monster down. It fell facedown on the floor, lying limp and lifeless on the broken concrete. Zack walked around it, twirling his sword in his hands as he admired his handiwork. To fell the monster in a single blow was impressive; even Angeal would have to admit that he was impressed. Still, Zack took a few steps closer, to make sure that the monster was indeed defeated.

As he approached, the eyes snapped open. Before Zack could even think about raising his guard, the monster jumped to his feet and punched Zack hard. The breath was knocked out of Zack's lungs as he was flung back. His head smashed against the wall, blurring his vision and knocking him for six. He dropped onto his knees, holding his head. He shook his head to clear his vision, but it only made it worse. With a great effort he sat up, pushing himself against the wall. Through teary vision he looked over at the monster, who was now on his feet and walking towards him. Zack felt around for his sword and, when he found it, he held it in front of him.

"Not good…" he breathed. The impact had affected not only his vision but his body also. He could not keep his sword steady and the blade kept wobbling one way and then another. Zack tightened his grip on the hilt, exerting all his effort to keep it up.

The monster stopped in front of him. His mouth was split into a wide grin as he raised his weapon high. Zack started to close his eyes, to accept his defeat, but then he stopped. Accepting defeat was not the SOLDIER way, nor was it his way. He would fight until the last breath was forced out of his body. So even though his body was tired, his head pounding and vision blurring, he looked the monster right in the eyes. He readied himself, preparing to move.

Suddenly there came a flash of movement, and the monster froze in mid-strike. His arm remained poised in the air as it stood completely frozen, eyes wide. His arm then dropped to his side, the weapon clattering to the floor. The monster then slumped forward onto the ground, dead. Zack lowered his sword. He looked at the monster and then turned his gaze to the man standing behind it.

It was Angeal. He had the Buster Sword in his hands, which he had used to bring the monster down in a single strike. To Zack's amazement, not a single drop of blood had stained the blade. Angeal had struck so quickly and so perfectly, that the blade had struck and gone before blood had a chance to stick. As he always did, he felt himself overcome with awe at the sheer strength the SOLDIER had; strength he wielded with poise and dignity.

Angeal lowered his sword and met Zack's gaze. "That's one more you owe me," he said with a smile.

_Well, dignity some of the time,_ Zack thought. He tried to smile back, but the movement made his head pound. Instead he just groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"You lost your focus," Angeal observed, walking over.

There was no use denying it. Angeal had probably seen the whole thing. "Uh, yeah?" the swordsman said instead. He blinked; his vision was beginning to clear. He looked over at the fallen monster and then at the swords in Angeal's hand. "Oh, sorry if your sword got any wear, tear, or rust on it." There was only a hint of sarcasm in his voice, which he regretted a little.

Angeal heard it, too. However he just smiled as he looked down at the sword in his hands. "You're a little more important than my sword," he said. The SOLDIER then sheathed his blade and grinned at Zack's astonished face. He made a small gesture. "…But just a little," he added. He laughed and then went over to Zack. He extended his hand.

Zack could not help but smile. "Thanks!" he said, and he took Angeal's hand.


	7. Part 01: Chapter 06

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Six**

The fall of Fort Tamblin was an event that would forever be remembered in the history of the world. Its destruction signalled the beginning of the end of the long war between Wutai and Shinra, with the Shinra Company as the victors.

When the bomb went off, B Unit stormed the fort in force. With their last defence gone, the Wutai army was quickly subdued. Those that surrendered were captured, while others chose to flee and disappeared into the forests. Angeal told Zack that once the operation was complete, the army would move in and take over jurisdiction of the land. Peace would return then, and the Shinra Company could start work on their desired mako reactor.

As for he and Zack, their role in the war was over. All that was left was for them to return to the pick-up point, meet up with the director and then return to Midgar.

Although Zack was pleased to hear this news, he could not help but feel a bit sorry for the people of Wutai. They had never wanted this war, just as much as Shinra had not wanted it. A lot of lives had been lost, but now it was over. Once they saw how much easier their lives could be by having a mako reactor on their land, perhaps they would change their minds.

An image of the Crescent Unit captain flashed through his mind, and he started to have doubts. The captain was not likely to change his mind about Shinra, or give up on his vow. He also recalled the young girl he had met, the one who claimed she was 'Wutai's greatest warrior'. He could only imagine the seed that would be planted in her heart when she realised she had failed in her self-appointed task to defend her homeland. The Wutai people were strong of spirit and mind. If they chose to continue hating Shinra even after the war… then it would be a long time before the struggle came to an end.

He and Angeal left the burning fort behind them and returned to the forests of Mt. Tamblin. Smoke from the fort seemed to follow them as they headed down the path, marring the night sky. Soon the smoke passed them and continued to drift south, carried onward by the wind.

When they were almost halfway down, Angeal heard a sound from behind them and came to a stop. He inclined his head at Zack, who nodded and started to reach for his sword. Angeal also closed his hand around the Buster Sword. Then his eyes widened and he relaxed, letting go of the sword. Zack did the same. Both men then turned around to face the figure running down the path towards them.

It was Director Lazard. The director's suit had a few soil stains from his exertions in the field, but otherwise he was as tidy and immaculate as ever.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lazard apologised as he slowed down to join them. "I'm not used to being on site."

Angeal folded his arms. "You didn't have to come," he pointed out.

"This operation will bring an end to the war," Lazard replied, and Zack detected a hint of stubbornness there. "I have to see it through personally." He paused for a second and then turned to Zack. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack."

"Sir!" said Zack, at once coming to attention. This was the moment he had been waiting for: his appraisal.

"You performed your duties admirably at Fort Tamblin," the director told him. "I saw it with my own eyes. Frankly, my evaluation of you is…" He paused as he shook his head, pushing his glasses up. "You are a frightening individual," he concluded. "Not any man could annihilate an entire enemy force by himself."

"I was taken aback myself," Angeal confessed, giving Zack a curious look. "You really have grown into a fine warrior."

"Your bravery during the Wutai war will be remembered for generations to come," Lazard continued. "It seems your dream of becoming a hero has already come true."

A warm heat spread across Zack's face. Him… a hero! He grinned sheepishly and scratched his head, a bit overwhelmed at receiving such a great appraisal. To get a favourable evaluation from Director Lazard was one thing, but to get Angeal's approval as well… that was like the icing on the cake.

"Let's not get carried away, Director," he heard Angeal say. "Zack still has a lot to accomplish." He caught Zack's gaze and smiled. The swordsman flushed again and ducked his head.

Lazard laughed. "I suppose you're right," he conceded. He turned back to Zack and added: "I hope you'll continue to excel."

"Now, let's hurry," said Angeal, turning back to the path. "Sephiroth is waiting."

Zack nodded, and then froze as Angeal's words sunk in. "Sephiroth!?" he exclaimed. "The SOLDIER hero?" But Angeal was already walking away, with Director Lazard following close behind him. Zack clenched his fists tight was excitement overcame him. "Wow!" he breathed. "I get to meet a hero!"

Despite him having close associations with Angeal as his personal trainer and mentor, Zack had little to do with the other 1sts. He had seen Genesis once or twice with Angeal, although the two had never met or spoken words.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, was entirely different. Sephiroth was famous: a legendary warrior. There were few who had not heard Sephiroth's name before. Zack had read a lot about his exploits in the Shinra News bulletins, but he had never seen the man in person. Angeal refrained from talking about Sephiroth, saying that he respected Sephiroth's privacy. This did not stop Zack from asking, though. He would keep on asking until the frown lines appeared in Angeal's brow, signalling that he'd had enough of Zack's questioning.

That day in the Training Room was the first time Zack had seen Sephiroth up close. Even though it was only a hologram, Zack could not help but feel awed when he saw him. Sephiroth's skill was something nobody could ever hope to match. From what Zack had heard from the other 2nds and 3rds, not even Angeal had managed to beat Sephiroth yet. Zack, knowing Angeal's strength better than anyone else, found this difficult to believe. This only made him admire Sephiroth all the more and, more than anything else, he wanted to be as strong as both him _and_ Angeal.

Breaking from his thoughts, Zack saw that Angeal and the director were some distance ahead of him. Not wanting to be caught daydreaming after receiving such a good evaluation, he pushed all thoughts of Sephiroth aside and began to follow.

A noise caught his ears, making him stop. Grasping his sword, Zack spun around to face the path behind.

In the forest undergrowth, the bushes began to move. Suddenly three figures leapt out from and rushed to surround him.

_Wutai soldiers…_ thought Zack with a curse.

These soldiers were different from the others he had encountered. Their uniforms were not that dissimilar from the SOLDIER uniform Zack wore, although there were some distinct differences. The first was the colour—the outfits were dyed a deep crimson. The Shinra logo appeared to have been burnt off, as an act of mockery or an act of hate, Zack did not know. They each wore helmets to cover their faces, and again the logo was burnt off.

The thing that caught Zack's attention the most—oddly perhaps—was a set of black feathers sticking out from beneath the shoulder plates. Zack had never seen such a motif on the Wutai soldiers, and wondered if this was a specially-trained unit. The soldiers were very agile, constantly on their move, seeming to sense Zack without even seeking him. Each one carried a twin set of crimson blades that glinted in the moonlight. Zack saw that these blades were already stained with blood and, as he watched, the soldiers raised them ready for battle.

Without any word or warning, the soldiers attacked. Zack jumped out of the circle as the soldiers struck together. Their blades seemed to flash red as they cut through the air. Yet they did not react with frustration or confusion as their weapons missed their target. Instead they withdrew, moving together, and lunged to strike again.

"What, no hello?" asked Zack, drawing his sword. "All right, then!"

He charged. His opponents did the same. At first they moved as a single unit. Then they separated and spread out to surround him again. Zack skidded to a stop. Seeing their intent, he leapt up into the air just as they thrust out their weapons. Six sharp blades clashed together, creating a sea of sparks. Zack drew his knees up as he landed on top of the circle of blades. He crouched down low and pushed himself off again. The soldiers' heads did not even move as he soared over one of the soldiers. He thrust his sword through the soldier's gut. When he removed the blade the soldier staggered and slumped to the ground.

To his surprise, this act did not inspire any fury from the other soldiers. They paused before stepped over their comrade, and continued to advance towards Zack. The swordsman grimaced and then charged towards them. He swung his sword at the nearest of the two. His opponent side-stepped and then returned with a thrust of his own. Zack leaned aside but the blade scraped across his arm, cutting across the skin. He then retaliated with a large swing. His blade slashed across the soldier's neck and torso. The soldier stepped back. Without uttering a sound he clawed at his wound before joining his comrade on the floor.

There was now only one soldier remaining. Zack turned to him and raised his sword. His opponent twirled his blades and then charged. Zack's sword glowed red as he channelled his _Fire_ materia into the blade. He yelled as he ran and then thrust his blade through the soldier's gut. The flames discharged and sent him flying back. The soldier slammed into the wall and then dropped down onto the floor. Smoke drifted out of the wound, trailing away in the night air.

With all of his opponents defeated, Zack sheathed his sword. He was about to kneel down to take a closer look at the soldiers when Angeal's voice came from further down the path.

"Zack! Come on!"

Zack heard the urgency in his voice. Leaving the soldiers where they were, he hurried to catch up with his mentor.

He found Angeal and the director just a little way ahead. Angeal was holding the Buster Sword, and two more of the red-uniformed soldiers lay dead at his feet. When Zack entered the clearing, Angeal turned his head and nodded. He then raised his sword again as another pair of masked soldiers ran into the clearing.

"Take the director to a safe place," he ordered. He took a step towards the soldiers.

"Then contact Sephiroth," added Lazard.

Angeal shook his head. "Zack is more than enough," he said. He hoisted his sword up and held it ready. "Now, go."

Fighting the blush that tried to rise to his cheeks, Zack hurried over to Lazard. "Follow me, Director," he instructed.

The director hesitated. He looked over at Angeal, who only nodded. Lazard sighed and then followed Zack out of the clearing. He kept close to Zack as they made their way into the forest. The clearing disappeared from view, and all they could hear were the sounds of battle. Once or twice Lazard looked back, but he did not stray from Zack. Soon even the sounds of battle faded, and the two were completely alone.

Once he was sure they were clear of the battle, Zack slowed his pace. While he was able to endure lengthy exertions in the field, Director Lazard was less able. He could hear the director panting for breath behind him, though he made no complaint. Zack had to give him credit for coming out into the field in the first place.

They were near to the end of the forest when two figures emerged from the bushes. At once Zack started to reach for his sword but then relaxed as he recognised the blue uniforms of Shinra infantrymen.

"Thank goodness you're safe, Director Lazard," one of the infantrymen said. He ran up to Lazard, ignoring Zack.

The director waved his hand, and the two infantrymen saluted. Lazard wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Zack. "I should be fine now, Zack," he said. "Go and assist Angeal!"

"I know, I know!" replied Zack.

He waited while Lazard was led away by his escorts and then re-entered the forest. He retraced his steps through the bushes, no longer caring if he broke a branch here or disturbed a stone there. Although he had little doubt that Angeal would be able to handle those soldiers, he did not want to miss any of the action. Without the director's presence to slow him down he made excellent time, and within a few minutes he arrived back where he had left Angeal.

The clearing was now empty. The bodies of the two masked soldiers lay dead upon the ground, with the tell-tale marks of a fierce battle all around them. As for their slayer, he was nowhere to be seen. Zack waited a long moment before he walked out into the clearing, his eyes scanning the area.

There were no signs to be seen. There weren't even any footprints leading away from the battle. Zack turned and looked around him, into the bushes and into the trees, looking for some sign of his mentor.

"Angeal?" he called. "Angeal!"

The trees rustled, and a bird flew out of the branches and into the sky. Zack put his hands on his hips, perplexed. Where was Angeal? If he had been killed (which was unlikely) then his body should be here. If he had not been killed, then Zack should see his footprints leading away from the battle. The only footprints were his own, Angeal's and the director's leading into the clearing, and those of the enemy.

He looked down at the soldiers. For the first time since they appeared, he took a real good look at them. "What?" he said. He knelt down. "These aren't Wutai troops…"

He reached out to remove the helmet of one of the soldiers. Before his fingers could touch it a warm glow began to shine. Zack raised his head and gasped as he saw a ball of red materia floating in the air. The materia was on fire, and as Zack watched the flames intensified and formed into a summoning circle. The light it emitted was so bright that Zack was forced to cover his eyes. A hot wind blew around him, so thick and heavy it was smothering.

The light faded. Zack lowered his arms, but what he saw took him by surprise.

He was no longer on Mt. Tamblin. He was not even in Wutai. The materia had taken him to a new place—a place where the land was dry and the sky was on fire. He stood on a platform of rock surrounded by swirling clouds. The wind continued to blow here, though it did nothing to cool the sweltering heat. Dust blown up by the wind flew into his throat, parching it. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow.

Zack heard a growl behind him. He spun around and jumped as he saw that there was an enormous beast standing behind him. The creature was three times the size of the average human, with charcoal green skin and muscles so large and taut it seemed that they should burst out of his skin. A mane not of hair but of fire flowed across his head, with more flames burning along his elbows and thighs. His mouth was pulled back into a wicked smile, baring enormous fangs. Two large horns rose from his head and curled around behind him, the tips glowing white-hot in the heat.

Recognising the beast for what he was, Zack took a step back. "A summon?" he said. "Who called it out?"

The beast, whose name was Ifrit, roared so loud that it caused the whole platform to tremble. Zack's heart began to race. Whoever had left the materia there had intended to trap whoever stumbled on the clearing—in this case, him. Had Angeal been caught in the same trap? Zack did not have time to wonder that, for Ifrit would not let him go without a fight.

"Well, if you insist," Zack said as he drew his sword. "Let's do this!"

He ran towards Ifrit. The beast waited and then jumped into the air. Zack jumped back as Ifrit landed, bring his enormous fist crashing onto the ground. The impact split the rock wide open and sent shards flying through the air. The beast was unfazed and ploughed straight through them, charging towards the swordsman. Zack dived out of the way as the beast charged past him. When he got to his feet he turned to attack, only to find that Ifrit had also turned and was heading towards him.

With no time to dodge, Zack braced his body for the collision. When it came he cried out as his whole body was jarred by the force. Somehow he managed to hold his ground, and he pushed back against his opponent.

Ifrit snarled. Up close, Zack could feel the heat rising from the beast's body. _It's like he's practically made from fire,_ he wondered. Then he scowled. _No. I gotta focus!_

He dug in his heels. Ifrit responded by pushing harder. After some effort, the beast began to push him back. Zack pressed his heels harder into the stone, but his soles slid across the surface. Realising that he was winning, Ifrit grinned and pushed even harder. Soon Zack was being forced back at an increasing rate, moving faster and faster.

Glancing back over his shoulder Zack saw, to his alarm, the edge of the platform. Knowing that the beast intended to force him over the edge, Zack braced himself and then dove to the side. The sudden loss of resistance caused Ifrit to stagger and fall. His shoulder slammed into Zack, knocking him onto the ground. After he had recovered from that, Zack turned back and raised his sword to cut Ifrit down while his back was turned.

He never got the chance. After falling, Ifrit planted his palms against the ground and then kicked with his feet. His clawed feet slammed into Zack's torso, forcing the air out of his lungs. He was thrown back across the platform. He landed and rolled several feet before at last coming to a stop.

The swordsman got to his feet. His chest was aching, and it hurt to breathe. Zack clutched at his chest as he bent down to pick up his sword, which had skidded along with him.

Before his fingers could close around the weapon, darkness fell over him. Without looking up Zack leapt backwards. A fireball slammed into the ground where he had stood, forcing the ground to split wide open. Zack was hit by the shockwave and thrown back again. His sword, also caught up in the blast, went the other way.

Zack skidded to a stop. He looked up and saw that another fireball was heading towards him. He heard a _whoosh_ and saw that another one was approaching from his left. A second _whoosh_ followed and he saw a third one flying up from his right. Zack clenched his jaw. Crouching down low, he prepared himself and then broke into a sprint, dashing for his sword.

The fireballs soared overhead. As though responding to his movements, they turned in the air and headed towards him. Sweat ran down Zack's brow as he pushed his body harder, his body aching with each step. His sword was just ahead. Zack stretched out his arm, reaching for it.

The fireballs converged and struck the ground. The impact made the ground shudder and lurch. A cloud of smoke and flame swept across the battlefield, and everything was covered in an impenetrable fog. Ifrit, who was watching nearby, let out a roar of triumph. Then he stopped in mid-roar and looked ahead.

Before him, the clouds parted. Zack emerged, his sword in his hand, the blade glowing from the heat of the fire. The firelight was reflected in his eyes as he ran out of the flames and charged straight at Ifrit. The summon started to leap out of the way, but before his feet could leave the ground Zack thrust out and plunged his blade deep into the beast's chest. Ifrit roared.

Zack withdrew his blade. Without waiting for the beast to retaliate, he spun and brought his sword down in a slashing arc across the beast's torso. A deep red slash marked where the blade landed, oozing blood.

But Zack was not done yet. He poured all the remaining power of his _Fire_ materia into the weapon, filling it with as much power as it could hold. This added strength weighed heavily upon the weapon, and Zack could feel it straining to contain it. He had to act fast. Leaping into the air, Zack raised the sword high and brought it down with all his strength, straight onto the beast's head.

The reaction was immediate. A gust of flames released from the blade, descending and sweeping around Ifrit. Stunned by the blow, Ifrit toppled forward. Zack, meanwhile, jumped back out of the way.

The flames circled around Ifrit, growing more intense by the second. Inside Zack could see Ifrit's silhouette. For a split second, he felt a pang of fear. Ifrit was a fiery beast; flames were his natural element. Would they even have an effect?

His answer came in the form of a terrible scream. It was deep and terrifying, and made his blood run cold. Inside the flames he saw Ifrit throw up his arms in a gesture of defeat. The flames drew sharply inwards and then exploded. Zack raised his arms to shield himself as a wave of heat passed over him, making his skin tingle.

When the shockwave passed, Zack lowered his arms and looked ahead. Ifrit stood before him. His arms were still raised, but his skin was dark and scorched, the flames of his hair and body dimmed. Then Ifrit's hands fell to his sides. He slid forward, landing facedown on the stone floor.

Cautious, Zack took a step forward. Ifrit made no move. Feeling more confident now, he took a few more steps towards him. He twirled his sword, grinning.

_Guess summons aren't all that tough after all,_ he thought.

He turned away. The moment his back was turned the beast twitched. Ifrit clenched his fist and slammed it onto the ground. Zack spun around just as Ifrit jumped to his feet and charged towards him. One fist was raised and ready, with flames swirling around his closed fingers. Before reaching Zack, the beast skidded to a stop and punched the air, releasing a fireball that hurtled towards him.

Unable to defend himself in time, Zack instead ducked down and raised his arms to defend his face. He felt the heat as flames passed by on either side of him, but no flames hit him directly. Confused, Zack lowered his arms. He raised his head and let out a gasp.

Standing in front of him was Sephiroth. Flames rose on either side of the legendary SOLDIER as he stood there. In his hands was the masamune, his trademark sword, which he had used to cut through the flames to defend the 2nd Class swordsman. Zack could only stare.

Raising his masamune, Sephiroth charged. His long hair trailed behind him in a silvery arc that reflected the firelight as he moved. Before Ifrit could move Sephiroth struck, his sword cutting through the air with a loud _slash._ In movement too fast for Zack to see, he appeared to pass right through the beast. He came to a stop on the other side, holding out his sword.

For a moment nothing happened. Then Ifrit roared as his body burst into flames: flames far stronger than any Zack could hope to create. Throwing back his head, Ifrit let out another pained roar as the fire consumed him, turning his body into ashes.

With Ifrit's defeat, the atmosphere began to change. The hot wind cooled and ceased the blow, and the clouds began to clear. Zack looked down as the rock beneath his feet softened into dirt, and stalks of grass poked through. He looked around as trees appeared around him and Sephiroth. The domain on which Ifrit reigned faded away, returning them to the forests of Wutai.

Zack turned his eyes to Sephiroth, overcome with awe. "Holy…" he whispered. He wondered what he should do. Thank him? Praise him?

Sephiroth, however, did not seem interested in thanks or praise. Ignoring Zack, he walked over to the bodies of the two soldiers and knelt down. He looked at them for a moment and then pulled off the mask of one of the soldiers. His brow creased as he frowned.

"Genesis…" he whispered.

"The missing SOLDIER 1st Class?" Zack asked.

He came over to look. Underneath the mask was the same man Director Lazard had shown him in the Briefing Room. Genesis, SOLDIER 1st Class, who was declared Missing In Action a month ago. Zack folded his arms. What was Genesis doing here?

Sephiroth turned to the other soldier and pulled off his mask as well. On seeing the face beneath, Zack let out a gasp.

"They're identical!" he exclaimed.

Sephiroth's frown deepened. "A Genesis copy…"

"Copy?" repeated Zack. "A human copy?"

He had heard of the technology before. Scientists had transplanted cells of powerful monsters into weaker monsters in an attempt to transfer the powerful monster's abilities into the weaker ones, thus making them more powerful. Quite often the cells of the powerful monster would take over, and the weaker monster would transform into the shape of its donor. This was why they were referred to as 'copies'. The weaker monsters often lost their sense of will as they were overridden by the wills and drives of their donors, or those with the power to control them.

Zack shook his head. Copying was a dangerous technology that was used only on monsters. He had never heard of it being used on humans before.

Sephiroth showed no surprise. His face still grim, he looked up at Zack. "Where is Angeal?" he asked.

"I thought he was fighting around here…" Zack replied.

For a moment, Zack thought he saw a reaction in Sephiroth's eyes. Then the SOLDIER sighed and lowered his head.

"Humph, so he's gone, too," he said.

"What?" Zack said. "Wait, what does that mean?"

Sephiroth stood up. Without turning, he said: "It means Angeal has betrayed us as well." He began to walk away.

Zack stared after him. "No way!" he shouted suddenly. "I know what kind of guy Angeal is. And he'd never do that!"

Sephiroth stopped and looked back. Zack glared after him with such passion and intensity that it took him almost by surprise.

"Angeal wouldn't betray us! Never!"

* * *

**End of Part One**

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Hi everyone! After a long break, I'm back! To anyone who saw my profile, I had to take a break due to severe wrist strain. This had affected both my wrists and made it very painful to write, so I had to take a break. I still had to work so I had to sacrifice my novel-writing instead. It was incredibly depressing. I actually recovered about a month or so ago but I felt it was best to take a bit longer to ensure I had actually recovered.

Then I got caught up in doing some FF13 writing. I've been writing up the Episode Zero stories. I found translations online and was re-writing these in full novella form. I've done three of them and am on the fourth. These will _NOT_ be available online out of respect for the person who put in the effort to actually translate them.

However, now I am satisfied I am recovered, I will go back to writing Crisis Core!


	8. Part 02: Chapter 07

**Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**

**Grace Barton**

**Part Two: Betrayal?**

**Chapter Seven**

_Man, what is with Angeal? How long is he gonna slack off like this? It's been a month now!_

_Sephiroth's got it all wrong, too! Lumping Angeal together with Genesis! Genesis is a deserter who took a bunch of 2nds and 3rds with him! He used his copies to attack us! Angeal would never condone something like that! He valued his SOLDIER honour more than anyone else!_

_Ugh! Everything's so messed up these days! Angeal! Just come back, please!_

* * *

On the SOLDIER floor, Zack was doing his squats. It seemed like squats were the only thing he _could_ do. Sweat rolled down his face and biceps. His lungs ached, and his muscles burned with the effort, but Zack did not notice. His mind was elsewhere, thinking over everything that had happened in the past month.

It all seemed like a distant memory. After the fall of Fort Tamblin, the Shinra army marched onwards and occupied the capital of Wutai. On Shinra's arrival, Godo Kisaragi announced Wutai's surrender. For now that information was kept secret as officials negotiated terms and laid the foundations for Shinra's new reactors on the western islands.

Of course the surrender had not gone down peacefully. Those soldiers who did not agree with Kisaragi's decision to surrender broke free of their homeland and fled into the hills. Shinra soldiers were dispatched to hunt them down, but it was felt that they would never catch them all. Some had said that the soldiers were acting under Kisaragi's orders to stop Shinra covertly, but there was no evidence. Kisaragi played as the meek and cowed ruler of a dishonoured land, doing everything that Shinra asked of him. Zack felt sorry for him.

_But it couldn't be helped,_ he had told himself on the journey back. _If they had just listened to what Shinra was offering instead of picking up weapons, it might not have come to this._

Wutai's surrender was not the only thing being kept secret. There was the matter of Angeal's sudden and mysterious disappearance, as well.

When Sephiroth told the director that Angeal had gone, Lazard was visibly shocked. Zack had expected the director to order an immediate search of the surrounding area, but he did not. Instead he pushed up his glasses and calmly and firmly told Sephiroth and Zack to keep the information to themselves. Zack tried to protest, but a single look from Sephiroth made him keep quiet.

Now a whole month had passed by, and there was still no sign of Angeal. Zack had sent numerous requests to Director Lazard requesting an update, but none of them were returned.

_The director _is_ a busy man,_ Zack kept telling himself. _Still, any news would be helpful._

He had seen no more of Sephiroth, either. After meeting up with Lazard, Sephiroth had run off into the forest and Zack did not see him again. He heard stories, though. Stories of the legendary Sephiroth as he walked through Wutai, hunting down the resistance who threatened to shatter the peace forming between the two powers. They were the kind of stories that would have filled Zack with awe, if he were not already filled with worry.

_Where is Angeal?_

A sharp pain in his legs refocused his attention to his squats. He must have done over a hundred by now, he reckoned, and his muscles were starting to protest. Zack clenched his jaw. _Just a few more,_ he urged himself.

His exercise was interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. Zack stopped his squats and pulled out his phone. Before he could even speak, a quiet, calm voice cut over him.

"SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack?"

"That would be me," Zack said. "Who is this?"

"Director Lazard wants to see you," the voice replied. "Go to the briefing room."

"Hey! Wait!" Zack protested, but it was too late. Whoever it was had hung up. Zack stared at the blank display screen. "Who was that?"

He frowned. That voice… he did not recognise it. Zack wondered how the man had gotten his number.

Picking up his towel from the nearby sofa, he rubbed the sweat from his face and neck. The towel was cool, refreshing his warm skin. Then he picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a long pull.

He also wondered what the director wanted with him. _Maybe he's found out something about Angeal!_ he thought with some excitement.

With that thought running through his mind, Zack threw down his towel and water and ran.

* * *

In the briefing room, Director Lazard sat once more at the head of the table. He was troubled. He had just received an email, and its contents were more than troubling.

He read through the email a second time, committing its information to memory. Then as was agreed, he deleted the email at once, ensuring that no trace remained. Then, switching back to the screen he was viewing before, he leant forward and put his chin in his hands.

_More troubling information,_ he thought.

* * *

When Zack arrived in the briefing room, he found Director Lazard pouring once more over a computer screen. "Any word on Angeal?" he asked, getting right to the point.

Director Lazard glanced up. One look into his sombre face told Zack that he had not. The swordsman's shoulders sagged, his excitement dampened. So there was still no news on Angeal.

Lazard gave him a look of sympathy. He then turned is head away and leant back in his chair. "He hasn't contacted his family either," he added.

Putting his hands on his hips, Zack sighed. "So, what's this about?" he asked.

"A new assignment," Lazard replied. Zack looked up at him in confusion. "I want you to go to the hometown of our missing SOLDIER 1st Class, Genesis."

"Huh?"

Lazard leant forward and folded his hands, interlocking his fingers. "According to the parents," he explained, "they've had no contact with Genesis whatsoever." He looked down, closing his eyes. "But, they can't be trusted."

"Why?" asked Zack, coming to stand behind him. Was there some sinister reason why Genesis's parents could not be trusted?

Lazard paused, wondering what to say. Finally he looked back at Zack and said: "They're his family."

Zack stared, and then he nodded. That made more sense, he figured. If Genesis was on the run from Shinra, then it was only natural that his parents would try and protect him by denying having any knowledge of him. Zack knew that if he was in trouble, his parents would do the same. That was what families did. They looked out for one another. He paced behind Lazard, lost in thought.

"I had already dispatched some staff," Lazard continued, turning his attention back to the screen, "but we've lost contact."

Zack followed his gaze. On the screen was the data for two operatives. At first Zack thought they were SOLDIER, but then he realised that they weren't. Instead of SOLDIER uniforms, they wore simple dark-blue suits, with stern, cold gazes.

_Turks…_ Zack realised, recognising the uniform. He looked at the word flashing over the pictures of the two operatives. _Lost… Guess even the Turks aren't that good._

"I want you to go and investigate," Lazard was saying. He turned his chair and nodded behind Zack. "He will go with you."

Zack turned towards the young man who had just entered the room. Or perhaps he was there the whole time, so quiet that the swordsman had not even noticed him. However long it was, at Lazard's gesture he strode forward and stopped a few feet away. He wore the same dark-blue suit as the people in the photos, though his face held a much keener, sterner gaze. His long black hair was tied back into a tight ponytail. On his forehead was a tilak—an ancient symbol representing the location of the spirit's third eye.

Despite himself, Zack found his eyes drawn to it. The man, however, did not seem to notice.

"Tseng, of the Turks," he introduced.

He did not offer his hand. Zack looked from him and then to Lazard. The director's face was serious. Zack put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"This job is looking really gloomy…" he remarked.

The man called Tseng gave a small smile. Then, as quickly as it appeared it was gone, leaving Zack to wonder if he had just imagined it there.

"Let me know when you're ready to go," he said.

Zack was about to reply when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Holding up his hand in apology, he said: "Oh, excuse me…" and pulled it out of his pocket. Tseng folded his arms. His face was unreadable, though it was clear from his stance that he expected a long wait.

Zack flipped open the phone. "Hello?"

Through the speaker he heard Kunsel's voice. "Yeah, this is Kunsel. Did you read my mail?"

Zack thought back to when his phone beeped just before he entered the briefing room. "Not yet," he admitted. "I'll read it later. I'm kinda in a meeting right now—"

"Ah, gotcha," replied Kunsel. "Hey, can I talk to you after that, though?"

"Well… If you keep it short, I guess. Haven't got much time."

Kunsel laughed. "Yeah, yeah, it'll be short. I'll be right outside the briefing room."

He hung up. He then realised that Tseng and Director Lazard were watching him. His cheeks flushing a little, Zack quickly explained what Kunsel had said. He expected Lazard to be annoyed, but the director smiled and gave his consent for Zack to go. 'I still have some things to organise before you set off,' he had said.

Leaving the director and the Turk in the briefing room, Zack headed outside. There he found Kunsel already waiting, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, Zack," he greeted. "What do you say we go down to Sector 8? Let's head over." He grinned and folded his arms. "You should always go and do as much as you can before an assignment, so you have no regrets."

Zack nodded. He knew this already. It was one of the 'unwritten laws' of being in SOLDIER. Due to the harsh and perilous nature of their missions, there was always the possibility that they would never return to Midgar. Thus it became a tradition for every SOLDIER to go into the sectors of Midgar before going on their missions.

The idea, as Kunsel described, was to enjoy as much of what the city could offer as they could. Then, when they went out, they would have no regrets. It was also a reminder of what they were fighting to protect. To protect a city and its peoples, and everything they held dear.

As far as Zack knew, the only ones who didn't follow this tradition were the 1sts, like Angeal. Long ago, Zack had asked Angeal why he didn't go out into the city before his missions.

Angeal had replied: "I do not need to see the city to remember what it is I fight to protect." Then he had placed his hand on his chest, right over his heart. "Everything I need to remember is right here. Keep your heart strong, Zack, and keep your honour, and you'll never forget."

Thinking of Angeal reminded him of his loss. Zack shook his head. "Yeah," he replied. "Let's go to the city."

With that he walked off, leaving a very confused Kunsel behind him.

* * *

A short time later the pair arrived in Sector 8's Fountain Plaza. Zack gazed around at the plaza, taking in the sights. Despite being the heart of Midgar's newest sector, it was not the hub of hype and activity that he had always imagined it to be.

There were only a few people wandering around at this hour of the morning. Many of these were Shinra employees, all of them hurrying to get to work. Others were making their way towards the train station at the far end, travelling to their own workplaces outside of Sector 8. There were a few civilians here and there, as well as the odd Shinra infantryman patrolling the streets.

"Well, here we are in Sector 8," said Kunsel, folding his arms. "I guess we should split up here."

Zack turned. "What?" he asked in surprise. "You bring me out here, and now you're leaving me?"

Kunsel just shrugged. "You have an assignment waiting, don't you? Wouldn't it be quicker to go around just by yourself?" Zack scratched his head. Kunsel turned and pointed back the way they came. "The Shinra Building is straight ahead that way when you're ready to go back." He then smiled and waved. "So, I'll see ya, Zack. I'll send you another mail when I find the time."

With that, he walked off towards the train station. Zack watched him go.

_Somehow, I get the feeling he was the one who wanted to come out here,_ Zack thought. He frowned, thinking.

A rippling sound drew his attention back to the plaza. Directly ahead, a large fountain spewed water into the air, letting it fall in a gentle spray into the pool around it. As the sectors were unnamed, areas were known only by what dominating features were present. Hence why this area was known as Fountain Plaza. To his left there was LOVELESS Avenue, named after the theatre showing the current popular play.

Despite once being a popular sight in Sector 8, nowadays the fountain stood forgotten. People walked by without even seeing it. During the day, the fountain struggled to be heard over the general clamour of the city. It was only in the morning and late at night, when few people were around, that its gentle, calming ripples could at last be heard.

Once, Zack had caught Angeal in Sector 8, watching the fountain. It was the middle of the day, and exceptionally noisy. Yet Angeal stood by the fountain with a serene look on his face, listening to the fountain.

'_How can you hear anything over this din?'_ Zack had asked.

For a while, Angeal did not reply. Then he cupped a hand behind his ear and said: _'Sometimes you have to listen hard in order to hear what's really important. The fountain, the wind… even the Planet might be trying to speak to you. Try listening, and you just might hear it.'_

Zack had been sceptical. He had heard that some people believed that the Planet had a soul, and that mako was in fact the Planet's soul being sucked out of the earth. What was it called again? Zack folded his arms, frowning in thought. _Was it… 'Lifestream'?_

Thinking of Angeal brought a sharp pain to his chest again.

_Dammit, Angeal, where are you?_

Turning his back on the fountain, the swordsman cast his gaze around the plaza. _Where should I go first?_ he wondered. There was not much to do in this part of the city. The theatre was the only main attraction in Sector 8, but he had no time to see a play. Besides, the only play currently showing was LOVELESS, which was based on the book by the same name. Zack found the story too convoluted to understand, but hundreds of others were captivated by its story. _How can anyone like a story that has no ending?_ Zack asked himself.

He eventually decided to take a quick walk around the plaza. Though the thought of his upcoming mission pressed on his mind, he forced himself to take his time. He looked around at the towering buildings on either side of him, even though he had seen all of these before. _Angeal might be able to keep everything that's important in his heart, but the rest of us need a little reminder every now and again._

He circled around the plaza. A few people turned to stare at him. SOLDIERs were not an unusual sight in Midgar, but people still felt a bit wary when in their presence.

He passed by three chatting women. He assumed they were talking about shopping or clothes, but then a few stray words caught his ears:_ 'SOLDIER'… 'Angeal'… Sephiroth!?_ Though he did not like to eavesdrop, he could not help but stop to listen.

The women were gossiping about their favourite members of SOLDIER. The more Zack listened, the more he realised that this was not a conversation but a heated debate. The women were trying to get across the reasons why they favoured certain members of SOLDIER over others, and trying to get the others to feel the same. He also realised that their 'favourites' had something in common.

They were all 1st Classes. Zack sighed, shaking his head.

The moment the breath escaped he realised he had exhaled too loud. One of the women, an older woman with short brown hair, spun around to face him. Her eyes widened as she recognised his SOLDIER uniform.

"Pardon me," she said, "but are you a SOLDIER operative?"

Zack brightened. Here was his chance to make some fans of his own!

"I sure am," he replied. "Zack's the name. Nice to meet you!" He held out his hand.

The three women stared at it. Then one of the women, a dark-skinned woman wearing a business suit, curled her lip in disdain. If Zack recalled right, she was the one who had been talking about Sephiroth.

"Zack?" she repeated. "Never heard of you. You must be SOLDIER second-rate."

Zack sagged. _2__nd__ Class… _he corrected. _But… ouch…_

"We were just talking about who the greatest SOLDIER operative might be," said the woman with the short brown hair. "I think it's Angeal. That air of solemnity about him… And he's thrifty to boot! He's absolutely charming." Her eyes glazed over, and she let out a dreamy sigh.

"If we're talking about the greatest in SOLDIER," said the dark-skinned woman, "I can't think of anyone greater than Sephiroth. Just imagining him stripped to the waist makes me dizzy."

Now the other woman stepped in. "Both of you!" she cried in horror. "What are you talking about? It's got to be Genesis! There's no one greater in SOLDIER!"

And so the debate continued, with each woman highlighting, to their minds, the reasons why their chosen 1sts were the best in SOLDIER. Zack watched them as they talked. "I never knew SOLDIER 1st Classes had so many female fans…" he admitted. _And I also bet the 2__nd__ Classes don't have fan clubs…_

He was about to turn away and leave the women to their debate when the Angeal fan reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Say," she said, her eyes still glazed, "would you like to join Keepers of Honour, Angeal's fan club? If you join now, you'll get out recent newsletters that include bits of Angeal's official profile!"

Zack blinked, not sure how to answer. With that fevered look in her eyes he feared she might take it as a personal offence if he refused to join.

But the more he thought about it, though, the more he realised that it might not be such a bad idea, after all. Fan clubs were privy to all sorts of information that no one else could ever get hold of. Besides, Zack looked up to Angeal as a mentor, so what harm was there in learning a little more about him from his fans?

_Oh, who am I kidding; I'd love to be in a fan club._

"Angeal's fan club, eh?" he asked, trying his best to sound calm and not over-excited. "I would love to join!"

The woman's eyes brightened. With great eagerness she took down Zack's details, including his mail address. "Congratulations! Welcome to Keepers of Honour." She typed into her phone, and a second later Zack's phone beeped. "And there you go," she said, her face beaming as she grinned. "You just got your first newsletter."

Zack opened the mail. As he read it through, his excitement rose. Somehow the club members had managed to get their hands on what they called Angeal's 'unofficial' profile. Apparently Angeal's favourite hobby was 'doting over dogs', and included a quote by Angeal stating 'the bigger the hassle, the cuter the dog'. It also turned out that his favourite magazine was… 'Famous Gardens Monthly'…? Zack shook his head. Angeal had never shared that before.

As he closed the phone, the hairs on the back of his neck rose as he sensed eyes watching him. He looked up and almost jumped as he met the intense gazes of the dark-skinned woman—the Genesis fan.

By the time he left the three women, Zack's phone was filled with emails. Some were from Keepers of Honour, the Angeal fan club, and others from Red Leather, a club dedicated to the missing 1st Class SOLDIER Genesis. The Sephiroth fan had not made him any offer to join a club. _Perhaps Sephiroth doesn't have a fan club, after all,_ Zack mused.

It turned out that joining Red Leather was not such a bad idea. Zack knew nothing about Genesis other than he was a 1st Class SOLDIER like Angeal and Sephiroth. Considering his next mission, it would be handy to know a little bit more about him.

The newsletter he received told him nothing useful. It turned out that Genesis was an avid reader, and his favourite book was…LOVELESS. Zack almost groaned in frustration. Did everyone like that story?

The newsletter did reveal one item of interest. Genesis had apparently joined SOLDIER because he was impressed by Sephiroth's heroics. Zack was not sure how he could use this information to his own advantage, but it was a useful titbit nonetheless.

He left the plaza and headed towards LOVELESS Avenue. There were a few more people here. At the end of the street was the theatre. A great billboard advertising the new rendition of the LOVELESS play towered over the avenue, impossible to miss. Several people were gathered around the theatre entrance, waiting for the building to open so they could book their tickets.

Down one side street Zack came across a Shinra infantryman. Dressed in the uniform of a captain, the young soldier stood at sharp attention with his arms folded behind his back, casting a suspicious gaze at everyone who passed by. His gaze narrowed as Zack approached him, giving him a wave.

"Ahh, thanks for patrolling Midgar, my man," he greeted.

The infantryman looked him up and down, and his lip curled. "I don't recognise you from SOLDIER," he replied. "What business do you have here?"

Zack was taken aback by his unfriendly tone. "Huh? Well, no business, actually…" he confessed.

The captain cut over him. "It is the duty of the 18th Squad in Shinra's Security Department to patrol the streets of Sector 8. Anyone who disturbs the peace will not be forgiven—not even in SOLDIER."

"Whoa, whoa," said Zack, holding up his hands, "take it easy there."

The captain, however, was not fazed. He folded his arms across his chest and held his head high so that he was looking down his nose at Zack. "This is the perfect opportunity," he said, "for me to tell you something. Midgar does not need SOLDIER."

Zack blinked. "What?"

"Whose job is it to take lost children to their mothers?" the captain demanded, and his voice rose as he spoke. "Whose job is it to catch the petty crooks who steal small change from vending machines? Whose job is it to scold the young girls who talk too loud on the trains?" He stretched up. "They are all ours. In other words, Midgar needs nobody but us—Shinra's Security Department."

"And I can see that you're, uh, doing fine work," said Zack.

The captain's frown deepened. "Hmph. That's as cocky as you're going to be," he remarked.

The frown then turned upwards into a smirk that sent chills down Zack's spine.

"We'll be holding a joint training session soon," he said. "Security versus SOLDIER. We'll see who the true combat elites are. Hmph. The days of SOLDIER and the Turks getting all the attention are over. Our joint training will let you see the true powers we possess in the Security Department." With that he folded his arms and would say no more.

Zack left him, feeling a little bewildered and shaken. He was not aware of any unpleasantness between SOLDIER and the Security Department, but apparently there was. The venom in the captain's voice showed he had an intense dislike of SOLDIER, going so far as to consider them unnecessary in the protection of Midgar.

This was untrue, of course. SOLDIER was extremely important. It was true that the Security Division dealt with immediate problems inside the city—petty thefts, assaults, lost children and the like. These were all important tasks, and Zack had always praised the Security Department for doing such a good job in making sure that the streets of Midgar were safe. SOLDIER's role was different, dealing with major threats such as terrorism, war, and excavations into inhospitable areas. They were trained to handle the tasks that the Security Division couldn't, but did that mean there had to be animosity between them?

Zack could only think of one solution. When the joint training sessions began, he would have to show the Security Division just how necessary SOLDIER was. The only way he could do that would be to take them on and win. Zack quickened his step, his mood lightening. Yes, he would have to make the captain acknowledge SOLDIER's worth within Shinra.

He explored for a little while longer. Near to the theatre he encountered another fan of Genesis, a member of a different fan club known as the 'LOVELESS Study Group'. Members of this club had made it their mission to study the work of LOVELESS and to understand it in the same way that Genesis apparently did. She then went on to talk about the story and how the fifth and final act was lost, but Zack had already lost interest. Even so, he found himself giving his details over to the enthusiastic young woman, and soon his phone was inundated again with emails about LOVELESS.

He couldn't have been more excited…

As he headed back towards the Fountain Plaza, his phone buzzed again. With a sigh Zack flipped it open, expecting yet another mail from one of the fan clubs he had found himself a member of.

To his relief, the mail was from Shinra News. It was delivering a personnel announcement in which Rufus Shinra, the president's only son, had been appointed as Vice President of the company and lead Corporate Officer.

_The perks of family…_ Zack thought with a shrug. There was also something else about the new Vice President being sent away on what was labelled a 'long-term business trip'. Zack shrugged and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

With nowhere else left to explore, Zack decided it was time to head back. He headed back to the Shinra Building and took the lift up to the SOLDIER floor. When he stepped out he jumped as he found Kunsel waiting for him.

"Hey, Zack," he greeted. "Finally made it back, did you? Weren't you in the middle of an assignment? You should get going." Zack glared at him, but Kunsel only grinned and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "The Turks guy is waiting for you in the briefing room."

Zack almost jumped back into the lift. "Oh yeah, the assignment!" he exclaimed. He had almost forgotten about it. "I'll head over right now!"

Kunsel folded his arms and chuckled. He should have known Zack would forget. "Good luck on the assignment," he said. "I'll send you a mail again when I have the time." He then waved and headed off.

Zack meanwhile, hurried over to the briefing room. As Kunsel had said, Tseng was the only person now waiting. Rather than sitting down or leaning against the wall to wait, Tseng had chosen to remain upright, standing almost at attention. Had he been like that the whole time, Zack found himself wondering, and he marvelled at the Turk's discipline. He looked around. Director Lazard had already gone, no doubt to finish the preparations for the upcoming mission.

"Ready to go?" Tseng asked as Zack walked in.

The swordsman nodded. He turned away and paced across the room, letting his arms swing at his sides. "A routine job, right?" he asked. "No sweat!"

"I wonder…" said Tseng, folding his arms. "Originally, Sephiroth was assigned to this mission. That means it's a top-priority matter." He looked at Zack, and his eyes narrowed. "Be alert," he warned, "or you'll fail."

Zack stopped pacing. _This mission was originally assigned to Sephiroth…_ he wondered. He looked up at Tseng. "And Sephiroth?" he asked.

"Refusing to go, apparently."

"Oh, what is that?" exclaimed Zack, both surprised and a little jealous. "They spoil him too much!"

Tseng chuckled. "Why don't you say that to his face?" he suggested.

Zack paled at the thought. Looking sheepish, he put his hands together. "Uh, no thanks!"


End file.
